Love Language of Their Own
by EmmyMayyy
Summary: Brennan's not a gambler, but Booth is. Neither can properly move on without the needs of one another, so they compromise - friends with benefits. There's smut, fluff and a little angst.
1. Anticipation

"_Look the crazy girl is doing another Fanfiction." If that's what you're thinking, please don't turn back now. Inspiration had gotten the better of me again, and this sort of just came to me and I've already written a couple of chapters. I now love Athletics, school Aths were Tuesday and I took the day off, shopping and writing inspiration, you have to love it._

_Okay, here's the little synopsis:  
__Brennan's not a gambler, but Booth is. Neither can properly move on without the needs of one another, so they compromise - friends with benefits.  
The chapter titles will start with the letter of the alphabet; A, then B, then C etc. and when we get through the whole alphabet and if people are still interested, I'll start at A again. It's a follow on Fanfiction, not just a lot of one-shots._

_First letter is… you guessed it, A._

* * *

**Anticipation. **

_I'm not a gambler, I'm a scientist; _the words still rung through her ears, three weeks later. She tried to move on, but Andrew wasn't Booth. She knew Booth had a connection with Catherine, but it wasn't like the one he was willing to give them. Even she could see the shield he was building around himself. The walls she had broken over the years were rebuilding, stronger than before. She was supposed to have the walls, she was the one abandoned as a child, but her walls were broken long ago, never to be replaced while he's in her life.

Reaching for her glass of red wine from the coffee table, Temperance pulled her legs towards her chest and sipped at the red liquid, letting it ease its way down her throat before replacing her now empty mouth with more.

Somewhere between her third sip of wine and the knock at the door, Brennan had fallen asleep. She didn't know how long she'd been asleep, or how long the knocking at her door at been taking place, as she slowly rose from the armchair, feeling groggy and unsteady on her feet.

"Coming," She mumbled to no one in particular, as she neared the front door, the familiar scent of Thai takeout wafting from under it was immediately picked up by her now watering taste buds. That meant only one person could be behind the door, standing in the hallway of her apartment block – Booth.

Unlatching the lock and pulling the handle open, a smile washed over her features as Booth shoved the boxes of takeout in her arms and picked up the beer which was resting by his feet. Standing aside she let him pass as he made his way through her apartment as if it was his own. Rolling her eyes as he made his way through to her living room, she sighed and closed the door behind her, locking it in the process before heading back towards she came.

"Make yourself at home," Her smile brightened as he shrugged and relaxed into the sofa, popping the cap from the beer bottle and taking one long swig, before sitting back up in the couch, his socked feet sitting firm on the carpet below.

"I broke up with Catherine," His voice was dismal as he spoke and refused to make eye contact with her. Her heart skipped a beat at the words he spoke, but she declined to show the happiness. Padding lightly across the floor, Brennan sat down next to him and tugged his shoulder back so he would be forced to stare into her crystal blue orbs.

"Why?"

"You know why," She could feel the hotness of his breath tickling her lips. Nodding she took a deep breath in and brushed the back of her fingers along his jaw up towards his ear, where she thread her fingers through the mocha hairs at the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry, but I still can't give you what you want," Pressing her lips to his jaw, she left a single hot kiss halfway between his earlobe and mouth.

Pulling back, Brennan grappled the brown paper bag and pulled out both boxes of takeout and chopsticks. Handing one box and set of chopsticks to Booth, she opened the box of her own food and dug the chopsticks into it and pulled out a piece of broccoli.

They ate in somewhat silence, but each of their minds was abuzz with thoughts and heartache. They both felt hope and they both felt love. The kind of love which squeezes your heart in no uncertain terms. Like the kind of pressure around the heart after losing someone you love dearly, or when you have heartburn. The ache you wish was never there, but it is.

"Why do we keep doing this?" The words had escaped Booth's lips before he could realise what he was saying. Dropping the chopsticks into the cardboard box, Brennan raised her head so they were staring into each other's eyes. "Why do we… Why do we just get to a moment, a single moment, where we can either go with the flow or stumble and fall? Why do we always stumble and fall?" The tears which now glistened in his eyes, caused Brennan's heart to drop and tears to brim to the surface of her orbs.

"I don't know, but I can't give you the love you deserve," Her breath was heavy as she fought back the tears from cascading down her cheeks in hot streams, but it was no luck, one single tears managed to escape her left eye and trickle down her cheek, running into the corner of her mouth. "I can only give you a relationship without feeling."

Exhaling heavily, Booth tried to smile but couldn't, "So your saying we can be friends with benefits."

"I don't know what that means," She had some idea, she'd heard Angela use it once or twice before, but it had no real meaning to her at the time. Now she was well and truly intrigued to find out the meaning.

"Simple terms, its sex without being in a relationship," Dropping the now empty contents of the takeout box back onto the coffee table, Booth drew in a deep sharp breath before releasing it again and flung himself back into the couch, running a hand over his five o'clock stubble before dropping his palm onto his thigh.

"Oh yes, we can be friends with benefits." Her voice had returned to the scientific ways she used during the day, but even she could tell by the look on Booth's face it wasn't something he wanted.

Silence brimmed the living room as each contemplated the whole 'friends with benefits' conclusion, but neither were willing to vocalize their thoughts, until the other spoke first.

Annoyed with the silence, Brennan was the first to speak, "You need an emotional attachment don't you?"

Smiling the first time since divulging into the food, Booth nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I do."

"What if this arrangement leads us to an emotional attachment?" A new set of tears were brimming in Brennan's eyes as she spoke and her voice which had been scientific just moments before was back to the innocent, childlike voice, she'd grown to use when in a personal disarray.

"You can't promise that," His heart was at breaking point, like it had been three weeks ago when he wanted to give 'them' a chance and she clearly stated she couldn't gamble, so why was she gambling now? Why would she after three weeks begin to gamble? Was it because of Catherine? Was it because of Hacker? Or was it just after she realised she needed him as well?

"But I can try. Just give me a chance," Her voice was a plead and through the hot tears which were streaming down her cheeks and landing in a puddle at the bottom of her chin. In this state she was vulnerable, a side to Temperance Brennan you rarely got to see, but Booth was seeing it. Booth was seeing it with his own two eyes, just like he did that night three weeks ago, just outside the Hoover.

"Okay," His voice was barely audible, but she heard. "Okay, I'll give friends with benefits a go."

He never knew he would be the one having to agree, but as his heart clenched once again that night, he couldn't leave her pleading form lying there, sobbing for the rest of the night and days to come. It wasn't in his nature. He suffered from White Knight Syndrome, so he couldn't, he wouldn't.

"Do we need to agree to any terms and conditions?" Booth chuckled at her statement, but dragged her crumbled figure in towards his chest and leant his chin onto the top of her hair.

"I don't think so," He replied to her question, letting her trace a circle around his heart, through his tee-shirt.

"That doesn't seem logical." She paused, lifting her head to meet his eyes in a gaze, "What if we feel the need to release our libidos at work?"

"How about we make a code word?" He suggested, as his hand ran through the waves of her auburn hair, which fell over her bare shoulders and the thick strapped dress she was still wearing from their day at work.

Agreeing, they listed off some words, most of which sounded too scientific for Booth or felt too easy for other people to pick up on for Brennan. They argued over the code word for what turned into a good half an hour, tossing around ideas, arguing and having a genuine good time, forgetting about the emotional hang ups from their arrangement.

"So we're agreed?" Booth whispered into her ear as she clung to his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Feeling her nod, Booth swept a final finger through her air. "If we feel the need to, and I'll you your words, 'release our libidos at work' we'll use the word _Pie._"

"Yes, we need to make sure no one else hears, otherwise they'll all be going to the diner looking for us," Her words were a mumble, but even so, they were surprisingly clear, even for her.

"Okay, if we're around the squints, we'll clear our throats and rub the tip of our nose?" Booth shrugged against his own suggestion, but Brennan cracked a smile and nodded.

"But…" Pausing, Brennan traced a love heart on Booth's tee-shirt, above his heart, "If we're alone like we are now…"

She didn't get time to finish her sentence when Booth's lips were crushed against her own, and his tongue was fighting through her lips to trace the back of her incisors. Pulling back abruptly, Booth guided a single strand of hair away from her face, while her lips popped open into a 'O' shape.

"One thing…" He paused, nipping at her earlobe, "I always drive."

With his statement out in the air, Booth grazed his teeth along her earlobe as she moaned into his touch. Maybe, they would get more out of friends with benefits than they would get out of a relationship. Only time would tell.


	2. Bliss

**Bliss. **

Earth shattering sex was yet to take place, but Booth couldn't stop thinking about what happened on Friday night and it was affecting his work Monday morning. Friday night, he broke up with Catherine. Friday night, he agreed to be friends with benefits with Brennan. Friday night, he watched as she fell asleep on his chest, and Friday night he thought. He thought about how their arrangement may lead to something more and how it was an emotional attachment between them without her knowing so. The smile reigning on his lips must have caught the attention of many in the FBI offices as he'd already had a visit from Hacker and Charlie, checking to see if he was okay and if he needed a glass of water to shake the smile from his compelling features. Booth of course declined any offer they made and went back to reclining in his desk chair, memorizing what happened and how they happened to get to where they are today.

Somehow he managed to get through to lunch, without being disturbed by a murder or any more visits from concerned co-workers. As he made his way through the FBI parking lot, he felt the familiar vibrate of his phone in his jacket pocket. Seeing the initial _'one new message'_ as he flipped the screen open, and smiled at the one word text message from none other than his partner in crime – Bones.

**Pie?**

Booth quickly responded and his heart skipped a beat when he felt his phone vibrate as he neared the black SUV and spotted her silver Primus at the other end of the garage, out of camera's way.

**Hurry. **

Chuckling to himself, he opened the SUV and climbed inside just as he received another message from her impatient form.

**Please.**

Within under a minute he was parked next to her car and tapping on the glass of her window were she was divulging her taste buds on a strawberry. Chewing the last of the strawberry up to the green leaf, Brennan tossed the leaf aside and wound her window down with the automatic button, watching as a goofy grin spread across his lips.

"Little impatient are we?" Booth teased as she faked a hurt look, but she couldn't help the smile which was spreading across her coral pink lips faster than she could have stopped it. Leaning forward into the car, Booth pecked at the corner of her lips and ran his tongue over her bottom lip before pulling back and opening the car door.

"You're apartment is 15minutes away, mine's half an hour and there's security all over the Jeffersonian." She huffed, unbuckling her seatbelt before stepping out. The black stiletto's she was wearing bought her up to his eye level and if she just turned her head…

"Not in your office," He broke her thoughts off immediately as she raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. Chuckling Booth conceded that her office wouldn't be one of the best places to disclose on pie. But he was the risk taker after all.

Pouting like a child, Brennan placed a single hand on her hip and snaked the other around Booth's torso, pulling him in close. As the pout disappeared so did the hand on her hip, with it wrapping around Booth's back so he was compelled into her space. With him in her aura, he couldn't help but press his lips to her perfected hair, where the soft smells of her Strawberry shampoo and conditioner instantly hit his senses.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you this morning," Somehow he'd managed to regain control and had her slammed up against the door of his SUV, his lips pried to hers in hot and heavy kisses. His hips ground into her pelvis, as one hand found her ass cheek and the other made its way to her rounded breast, which fit perfectly in the cup of his palm.

"If only you knew…" Her voice was already hot and heavy as she spoke, her words only coming through between the quick successions of breaths, Booth was willing to give.

Pulling himself away from her sizzling figure, Booth stepped back and actually looked at her, for the first time since he arrived up at the 'no-camera' corner of the Hoover garage. A rose red dress, cut just above the knee and a pair of ripper black stilettos.

Quickly looking at his watch, Booth groaned. "I only have another half hour for lunch."

Falling completely back against the cold metal, Brennan acknowledged the friction between hot and cold, but concluded it was comforting to the skin and her apparel. "But I have this throbbing sensation pounding against my core." She intended it to be a whine and it was definitely a whine, captured with a seductive smile at the end and a flash of her pearly whites.

In one swift move, Booth was back against her body with his hand up her dress, delicately stroking her panty covered sex. "All I've got to offer is if you recline against the backseat."

Somewhere in between saying the words and having her actually reclined on the backseat, Booth managed to get her dress hitched up against her midriff and her panties dangling down by her heel stricken feet. With her head falling back against a blanket and the reclined backseat, Booth peppered her thighs with tingling kisses, as her hands found their way into fists.

The agony which was now rippling through her core caused Brennan to tremor as Booth's tongue glazed over her glistening lower lips and soft curls which rounded her sex.

"B… Booth," The cry which escaped her vocal cords was whimpered with what someone may call pain, but to Brennan they were the soft sobs of not being satisfied in a _very_ long time and the need to release the pent up sexual tension which accumulated her agonizing core.

Giving into her needs, Booth lifted his head from her core and inserted a single digit, followed by another into where his cock should be. As his fingers pumped in and out of her, Booth saw as the strained look on her face was replaced with relief as he felt her walls clenched around his digits and released against with each pumping motion. He teased her clitoris from time to time with his tongue, but he left the real work to his fingers, as she managed to thread her fingers through his hair in tight clumps.

"So… close," her words were between moans when she spoke and a smile broke onto Booth's face knowing he was doing this to her. He was bringing her to orgasm, without actually being inside of her. It was like only a dream he could imagine. This was definitely better than the wet dreams he had been having over the past year or two about his favourite anthropologist. Definitely better, as he was seeing her for real, the facial expressions and the relief he's bringing towards her body.

"Whenever you're ready," His words seemed to cause a rupture in her system as her walls clenched one last time around his fingers before she screamed his name and fisted the backseat with her hands.

"_BOOOOTH." _She screamed his name over and over as her juices spilled over his fingers, as his fingers decreased from the fast thrust to a steady pace he helped ride her climax out.

Relentlessly, Booth pulled his fingers from core and dragged his body up to sit next to hers, "Better?" The words were a husk as he nipped at her earlobe and felt her nod wearily against his body.

The next ten minutes were slow as they helped one another from the backseat of the car and Brennan recomposed herself and having to replace her panties with a new pair which she had stashed in her handbag.

"Just over a minute to spare," Booth whispered into Brennan's ear as he checked his watch from behind her form.

"Thank-you," She thanked him with both words and a kiss, in which she managed to wrestle for control for only a slight second before Booth's tongue was pushed into her mouth and grazing over her back incisors, before they both unwillingly pulled away for air and to say goodbye.

Booth watched as Brennan hoped into her Primus and drove away before he stepped into his SUV and pulled away from the parking space, only to drive a couple hundred metres down the garage and into the parking spot he so often occupied. Just as he was about to exit the vehicle, he felt his phone vibrate in his jacket pocket. Smiling, he reached in and flipped his phone open, only to laugh at the text message she had sent.

**I owe you. **

Booth excited his SUV with a boyish grin, as he walked towards the elevator, bypassing a confused looking Perotta and Charlie in the midst of a heavy argument, who both seemed to pause as he walked passed. As he reached the elevators, another text sent his phone vibrating.

**Pie for dessert?**

Leaving the message as is, Booth closed his phone and dropped it back into his jacket pocket and pressed the third floor button from inside the lift. It was going to be hard to wipe the smile from his face.


	3. Convulsion

**I've had this written for over a week, and thanks to my temporary beta Erin on the past chapter and this one, I thank her for fixing my mistakes, while Naomi is out with a concussion. Just tell me when your back sweetie. :)  
Anyway, I had two exams on Friday (English and Maths) along with a practice Psychology exam, and on Monday I have three exams (Outdoor Ed, PE and Chemistry), ew at Chem. Receiving reviews makes my day, especially during this exam period. -Wink- **

**Convulsion.**

Throwing his keys and wallet on the nightstand in his bedroom, Booth wrenched at the tie wrapped around his neck and watched as it idly hit the floor. After lunch, things started going from bad to worse. He was initially happy, knowing Brennan had become a victim to his empowering fingers when she took release on him, but then it all started coming crumbling down. Yanking at the buttons on his white dress shirt, the afternoon played firmly on his mind. They received a case late afternoon, just out of D.C and while the initial findings at the site were easy; male, mid 30's, Caucasian. The preliminary findings however, seemed to drag through the evening. And with the tiredness of the day, both Brennan and Booth himself started to become retched and snipping. Just before 9:00pm, they broke into a full argument, before Cam stepped in and told Booth to head home, so he did. Unbuttoning his trousers with such haste, Booth didn't even flinch when he caught his finger in the fly as he watched the dress pants pool to the ground. Standing in the middle of his bedroom in only a pair of boxers, audacious socks, white singlet and St. Christopher's medallion, Booth ran a hand over his five o'clock stubble and groaned. Walking over to his dresser, he pulled a pair of tracksuit pants from the third drawer and pulled them on, one leg at the time. As he went to heave his singlet off and replace it with an old tee-shirt, his doorbell rang which sent the echo throughout his apartment. Dropping his head as an exuberated sigh passed through his lips, Booth turned and walked out back the way he came, bypassing the need for a drink and heading straight for the door.

As Booth swung the door open, he was confronted with Brennan's fist in the air, halfway to knocking on the door for the fourth time. "Booth."

"Come around for round 2? Cam kick you out as well," The way his voice came across in anger, sent a shiver running the length of Brennan's spine, as she simply rolled her eyes and entered his apartment on her own intuition. Booth watched on as she walked straight passed him and towards the living room. Stalking back towards her, Booth watched intently as she poured herself a glass of scotch and downed it in one drink. Refilling the glass this time he watched as she took a measly sip.

Sitting the glass back on the sofa table in the corner of his lounge room, Brennan turned to look Booth straight in the eyes, and it was evident her eyes were brimmed red from tears, "No."

"No?" Booth crossed the living room in five quick steps and was bought within a meter of Brennan and in just enough reach so he could fill his own scotch glass to the rim, before taking one long draw of the amber liquid, letting it ease its way down his throat before taking another sip.

"No. I did not come here to argue, and Cam didn't kick me out, I left on my own, as the preliminary findings won't be properly finished until Cam has done a tox screen on the remaining flesh in the morning." She didn't move from her standstill, but she did pick up the glass of scotch and take another swig, leaving the glass close to her lips. "I however did come by as I did promise you something tonight."

"Bones," Shaking his head, Booth didn't mean for the husky growl to roll from his tongue, but someone it had managed to and he instantly regretted saying anything.

"We don't need to have intercourse, although in the past I have found it to be a good way to relieve tension and anger. I could simply help you to masturbate, as by the way you're feeling, I'm sure you need a good _tug_." Somehow her seductive wink at the end of her arrogant tirade drew Booth's lips to crash into hers. Taking control, he drew the glass of scotch away from her hand and placed both their glasses back onto the sofa table and slammed her against the wall, her back arching between the window sill and tea green wall.

As she moaned into his mouth, his name took a thrashing as the sensual moans became raged, self-dependent and angered. He lost control for a moment and somehow she'd managed to throw him against the couch, and straddled her enraging sex over his hardening member. Gripping the sides of his tracksuit pants, she drew them down and glared until he lifted his ass from the cushion, so she could wrestle them down his thighs and legs. She left the boxers covering his erection as she slowly unbuttoned her jackets, button by buttons, until she shrugged it over her shoulders and dropped it to the ground. Seductively rolling her tongue over her lips, Temperance reached for his boxers and Booth obliged, bucking his hips so she could easily slide the thin material off his lower half. Smirking and raising an eyebrow, Brennan was impressed. Although she'd seen him naked before, once when she walked in on him in his bathroom and when they were in Vegas together, although she would never admit to the latter, she was surprised at the erection in which he'd managed to uphold. Sliding her index finger up his shaft, she watched him grimace as she removed the contact and wriggled against his upper thighs. Returning her fingers to the buttons on her blouse, which she changed into to access the crime scene, she started to unbutton them, ever so slowly, taking her time to draw him in. Stopping at the button just above her peaks, she gave a seductive laugh.

"Special Agent Booth…How would you rate your performance of satisfying a woman," Her fingers didn't move from the button which was half undone. Somehow her performance of taking control was doing him in. He was trying to stay strong, but each time she spoke, or unclasped another button, he felt himself crumbling under her duress.

"Well, Dr. Brennan," He paused as he attempted to think, but the longer he momentarily paused, the slower she would start to re-button the single button, she so desperately wanted to pull off her blouse.

"I haven't got all night Agent Booth."

"I well and truly satisfy any woman and their needs," Winking, he let his infamous charm smile spread across his lips, but Brennan didn't fail to notice the hint of seduction which came across with it. His bedroom smile and she liked it.

Unbuttoning the rest of her blouse, she managed to shrug it off and slam her jeans clad sex over his erection as he gripped her hips to try and quell the painful movement.

"I never knew you had a tattoo," Booth's voice was soft as he rubbed his right thumb over the pair of dolphins inked on her pelvis. In that moment, Booth had managed to shatter her from the Donna Matrix impersonation and into the soft, innocent person, he'd grown to love.

"I got it when I went to Guatemala. You were still hazy and believing your coma dream was real, and it bought back memories of my mother…so I got a dolphin tattoo, the larger one is mum, the smaller one is you. I thought you were going to leave me as well." Tears were starting to brim in her eyes as she spoke about the hurt he and her mother had caused; the emotional and physical pain, she was so darkly keeping from the light of the world. Pulling himself up, into a sitting position, Booth wrapped his arms around her limp form, pulling her onto his lap, so her head rested in the crook of his neck.

"You had my birth date inked," felt her nod and exhale rather deeply; "You were ready for if I died, so you could simply ink in my death date." Feeling her nod again, Booth ran his finger tips through her hair in a soothing motion.

"The tattoo artist found it strange; I would get my mother's birth and death dates, but only your birth date. I then had to explain your fake death and your tumor," Booth felt a hot tear against his neck, as Brennan began to lightly sob. Pulling her head back, so he could see her face, he placed a gentle kiss on her lips, to reassure he wasn't going anywhere, anytime soon.

"How about I make you a cup of tea?" It was more of a statement than a question, but watching as she simply nodded, Booth moved her from his lap and watching quietly as she curled into a fetal position at the other end of the couch. Grabbing his boxers and tracksuit pants, Booth pulled them on and noticed in their deep and meaningful, his erection had subsided. Grabbing her jacket from the floor, Booth draped it across her form, along with a blanket from the armchair covering her with it. He couldn't just leave her in the venerable state; she was in so he would sit with her. Let her fall asleep in his arms and wait for the morning.

* * *

**A/N: If you love this as much as I do, just press that little green button, that's practically screaming your name. :)**


	4. Delicious

**So I'm 5 exams down, 1 to go - plus the GAT. I'm going to be studying all day tomorrow for my year 12 Psychology exam on Wednesday, so I thought I would post this now.  
Thanks to my amazing beta Naomi, who is back from running into playground equipment (I'm sorry I couldn't resist). I like this chapter, it brings a smile to my face, each and every time I re-read it.  
Reviews make my day (well since its 8:48pm and I'm watching the Mentalist), I guess it also makes my nights. ;)**

**Delicious.**

As the sun broke through the curtains, Booth's eyes slowly cracked open. Sighing sleepily, he mumbled something under his breath, and gripped tighter to Brennan's still sleeping form. Suddenly though, Booth was well and truly awake and a sensual groan passed through his slightly parted lips. Pinching his fingertips on his nose, he couldn't help the second moan which escaped his vocal cords. Grabbing the offender, he smiled at the girly giggles, which came from one Temperance Brennan.

"I thought you were asleep," The morning sun, along with the sleepiness in his voice, made Booth's voice pleasurable to Brennan's ears, as she wrestled her hands from his loose grasp.

"And I thought you would be able to restrain from getting a morning erection," A lopsided grin broke across Brennan's face as she tilted her head up to meet Booth's. Pressing her lips to his jaw, she left a single kiss at his jaw joint, before pulling herself off his aroused figure.

Groaning at the lack of contact, Booth slumped back into the couch, and ran a hand through his grease ridden hair. "I break you down last night, and now I'm not getting pie this morning."

"You're not the one who has to do the walk of shame in disheveled clothes and with greasy hair. So If I have to do the walk of shame, you don't get pie." Gathering her blouse from the floor, she slipped it over her slim figure and set about buttoning the buttons, going from button to top. Before she could reach the button just below her purple laced breasts, Booth had moved to stand besides her, one hand spread across her back, the other, unbuttoning the buttons she'd just moments ago buttoned up.

"We can shower together, I'll wash your hair, and I think Catherine left ..." Watching as her head flung around to his amused face but Booth suddenly felt guilty, "I'm sorry. As I was saying, I can wash your hair, you left your shampoo and conditioner here last time you stayed, I'll use that, and you can help me..." Shifting his gaze down to his prominent erection, his motioned with his head, "With that, if you want."

Pretending to think for a moment, Brennan smiled softly, "Only if I get pancakes for breakfast."

"Deal, plus I think you'd look hot doing a walk of shame in one of my shirts." His voice was a husk in her ear as he felt her shudder against his voice.

They walked in a compatible silence towards Booth's one and only bathroom, Booth's arms wrapped around Brennan's waist as she relaxed with a shudder into his touch with his erection resting familiarly in the small of her back.

Closing the door behind him, Booth quickly shed his singlet and St. Christopher's medallion, laying it carefully on the vanity of the hand basin and opening the mirror cabinet, producing a box of condoms 'just in case' things get heavier than intended. Glancing back over to Brennan, he watched as she lowered her jeans and he caught a sight of her panty clad ass. Groaning a little, he could have swore, he saw her wiggle it, just for affect as she bent over to collect her clothes and place them in a pile next to the waste basket. Clamping his palms across her buttoned ass, Booth drove his erection into one of her cheeks, listening as she whimpered a moan from the instant contact.

Straightening up, Brennan twisted out of Booth's grasp and reached inside the shower and turned on the taps watching as a cascade of water billowed from the faucet. Turning softly, she unclipped the back of her bra and observed as Booth's eyes followed the lace garment as it pooled to the tiled floor before gazing back up to her pebbled breasts. Satisfied at his reaction, she dipped her fingers into the sides of her matching panties and dragged the article of clothing down her thighs and kicked them to the ground with her foot. She bore her blue orbs into Booth as he instantly focused on her soft patch of curls and swallowed…hard.

"Like what you see?" Her voice broke into a tease, as she stepped towards him and plunged her fingers into his tracksuit pants and boxers, pulling them down together, to reveal his length. She smiled a satisfied smile, and quirked her lips up slightly.

"I could ask you the same question," He met her lips and together backed into the shoulder, closing the glass door with a spare hand behind him.

Kissing her neck, he relished in the moans escaping her lips at the pleasure as his tongue grazed against her clavicle. Licking the tops of her breasts, he trailed down one of her nipples and sucked it in, lightly biting on the hard pink perk, as his fingers began to knead the other.

"God Booth," The moan was sexual, as she gripped harder around his throbbing member and gave one long pull, feeling as he bucked into her grasp. Repeating her pull, she quickly found a rhythm that was accommodating to both their needs.

"Fuck," Releasing her nipple from his mouth, Booth groaned deeply as he felt his orgasm rumbling low in his stomach. "I'm nearly there baby."

"Condom," The single word answer, left Booth with a raised eyebrow, "I want to feel you inside of me. I want you to feel me and I want to feel you."

"A…Are… You sure?" Booth traced a finger over the soft curls of her sex, watching as the water droplets cascaded over her breasts and ran down towards his fingers, the wetness between her legs, telling him she was also close to her peak.

"No."

"It's okay. I'm not going to have sex with you until your 100% sure. I will help you ride it out, like I did yesterday, but I'm not going to shove my dick into you because I can." He watched as she whimpered again, but nodded against his chest.

It wasn't long before Brennan was shaking violently against his fingers, her legs becoming numb and needed support by Booth. It took her to build again, for him to achieve his own release, but then they rode the wave out together. Booth couldn't remember if he shouted her name, or if he professed his love for her again. But at the time, he couldn't care. He helped the love of his life climax… twice. Three times in two days.

For the rest of the time in the shower Booth washed Brennan's hair with her favourite strawberry shampoo and conditioner, while he lathered his own hair in his shampoo and conditioner, before leaving her to finish the shower alone.

When Brennan finally stepped out of the shower, she smiled as Booth's cologne instantaneously hit her senses, along with the waft of his aftershave. Wrapping a towel around her body, just under her armpits, allowing for a little cleavage to surge from the top, Brennan stepped from the bathroom and back into the lounge.

"You scrub up well," She commented in a laugh. Leaning against the threshold of the lounge room and kitchen, Brennan watched as Booth stood flipping pancakes in a pair of charcoal grey dress trousers and a crisp white shirt. Although his socks were on his feet, his shoes were not. Glancing behind her, Brennan saw that his jacket and tie were slung over the back of the couch, shoes sitting neatly on the ground.

Fleeting a look over to her, Booth smirked, "I could say the same for you."

"But then I'd know you're lying." Stepping into the galley style kitchen, Temperance padded over to Booth's bar table and sat down, crossing her legs and noticed how the towel rode up her thigh and just covered her sex.

"You're going to be the death of me Temperance Brennan," He tried to stifle a groan as he looked over his shoulder to her, but giving her the once over, he couldn't help but not.

"You're no use to me dead," Taking a long draw from her orange juice, she ignored his smart remark and settled into the seat properly, just as he turned off the stove and bought over a large plate full of pancakes.

Kissing the top of her hair as he sat the pancakes on the table and somehow Booth managed to whisper, "Neither are you."


	5. Electrify

**Electrify.**

The next couple of days had been heavily case related, giving Brennan and Booth no time what so ever to even talk or discuss pie. However, there were many discrete seductive smiles or as Angela would call them, eye sex. The way their eyes roamed over each other's bodies electrified even the forensics platform and the stainless steel autopsy tables. Late night Thai was often eaten in Brennan's office, but no words were spoken and when the empty cardboard boxes were disposed off, Booth would leave – alone.

So come Friday night, the Jeffersonian was holding their annual winter ball which of course was compulsory, and like every other year, Cam would threaten to fire each and every individual, if they did not attend. Being compulsory caused many moans and groans, even from the ever over-excited Daisy Wick, the intern of the week. Her complaints were that of not having anything to wear and that her 'Lancelot' was out of town for the week for a conference on 'Psychology in the Workplace' so that she'd have to attend the function alone. Though previously an anger issue, Hodgins was more than willingly wanting to attend, because he would have Angela, his wife, by his side.

Over the past couples of days, everyone in and around the Jeffersonian saw the overly large conference hall being transformed into a winter wonderland, the theme for the year – black and white. The snowflakes from previous years still hung around in the entrances and dangled over the dance floor to truly inspire the upcoming winter season.

"Sweetie," Angela's soft angelic voice lingered in the air of Brennan's office, as she kept a content smile on her lips at her current Instant Message from Booth. "Sweetie!"

Angela's louder than normal shout, broke Brennan out of her little 'daze' and with a quick minimization of her screen, she managed to snap her head up to Angela's glowing figure in the doorway of her office.

"Yes Ange?" The glare, which she turned on Angela, was one she would use in the interrogation room, her eyes full of fire, before softening to an icy blue as she saw her best friend nearly stumble backwards from the door frame into Hodgins' outstretched arms.

"The ball starts in a half hour, and you're not even ready," The pout Angela had planted over her lips, quirked an eyebrow from Brennan, but she simply choose to ignore it due to the whine in her friend's voice. Sighing, Brennan formally gave Angela the once over, before doing the same to Hodgins who was supporting Ange by the elbow. Angela was in a short, mid thigh, black strapless dress with silver detailing around the bust and hem, her hair in soft waves and the smoky make-up applied around her pupils illuminated her dark orbs. Jack, ever the gentleman, wore an expensive Italian tux, a crisp which dress shirt and thin black tie.

"Cam wanted the case report finished before the weekend as she's taking Michelle to Silver Spring early tomorrow morning. Plus, you know I don't like these formal functions, they're a social consortium where one must divulge in an exchange of terminology, one does not either want to disclose on with a someone they either do not take a liking to or not formally know. You and Booth would call it social suicide." Taking a well deserved lungful of air, Temperance fell back into her desk chair as the silent pop sound of a new IM flashed upon her computer screen. She'd only told a little white lie, the report had been finished over an hour ago and now she was having a very intriguing conversation with Booth, whom was also still in his office.

"Fine, whatever, but there's a party and tequila at the bar, so if nothing else, come get drunk," With that Angela and Hodgins were gone, leaving nothing but their expensive aftershave and perfume scents in their wake.

Batting her eyelids, once… twice, Brennan bought her IM back up onto screen and smiled at Booth's latest message. Typing a quick reply, she mellowed into the comfort of the chair and let her breath steady into a slow heart rate.

"I thought you were supposed to be going to the winter ball?" His voice startled her at first and sent her scrambling into an upright position in her chair. Slowly she cracked a single blue orb open, to see him standing there, her dress slung over his arm, heels in his free hand.

"What? How?" A puzzled look immediately crossed across her features as Booth padded across the room, dressed in no doubt, a rented black tux, crisp white dress shirt and just to be different, a silver and black stripped tie, undoubtedly from his collection of audacious neck wear.

Pressing his lips to her hair, Booth breathed in her scent before whispering against her ear, "I stopped by your apartment earlier and grabbed your things, knowing you wouldn't want to go tonight. I've been sitting in my car for the past hour, waiting for the right moment to come in, hence the erotic IM messages, I've been thinking of only one thing, baby…" He never meant to call her baby, but it just sort of rolled off of his tongue, and by the faint smile which grazed across his lips, he wasn't too sure on whether to be happy that she didn't give him the lecture of being a fully grown woman, or scared that she appreciated him calling her baby. Either way, his breath hitched, waiting for her reply.

"And what would that one thing be?" She asked coyly, her faint smile growing into one of seduction and lust, while her eyes darkened with desire.

Taking in a lungful of air, Booth pulled himself back from her seated form, and placed her dress, heels and make-up on her desk with a resounding _thump_. Crooking a smile, Booth gave a mischievous wink as he rolled his tongue against his bottom lip, raising an eyebrow in the process.

"There's only one way to find out."

Knitting her eyebrows together, Brennan pulled herself from her swivel desk chair and clipped her way across to where Booth was now standing, his back to her, staring through the glass window to the platform above. Wrapping her thin arms around Booth's chest, Temperance managed to rest her chin on the back of his shoulder blade, taking a moment to breathe in his scent of musk, old spices and cinnamon, an odd combination for a man, but welcoming to her senses. She'd been with many men before, but none reached the standard of Booth's appealing scent. Many of her previous flames, one would call them, wore overpowering aftershave, or smelt of bodily fluid. But Booth was…Booth. He had his own unique scent you couldn't categorize with anyone else.

"Do you really want to go to the Ball?" His words were soft, but they managed to startle Brennan who merely shook her head against the back of his shoulder blade.

"I can think of a better way to spend my Friday night." Booth could feel the smile in her voice as a low growl came through his parted lips.

Booth continued to stare out the window as he felt her fingers begin to roam. He felt her fingers trace over his clavicle, dipping to his acromion, before running down his humorous, capitulum, medial epicondyle, trochlea, lateral epicondyle, ulna and radius. He felt her feather-like touches run back up his arm and lightly press against his sternum, her fingers gently roaming against his pectorals. He began to tense when her fingers finally pressed into his spine, but relaxed into her sure touch as she worked her way down towards his iliac crest and massaged her thumb into his gluteus medius. Her hands ran the length of his thighs, over his rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, adductor longus and pectineus before finally settling on his gluteus maximus; her fingers splayed over his rounded ass cheeks, while her thumbs pressed against coccyx.

Dipping her hands to the front of Booth's dress pants, Brennan felt the tightness under the material, a smile swept over her face at the evidence of his arousal. Her voice was ragged when she spoke, half in a pant from her own arousal and contemplation of what may happen, "Bathroom."

Twisting around in her grip, Booth allowed his lips to press firmly against her neck, as he nipped and sucked at the ivory flesh. His own breathing became uneven by the time he'd backed Brennan up to her toilet door. Her office had recently had a small bathroom installed; toilet, hand basin and mirror, the essentials, but it gave her a little more privacy than using the staff toilets next to the public ones.

A moan escaped Brennan's lip as she arched her back against the doorframe, her fingers unlatching door knob and with a sudden _whoosh_, Booth had her slammed up against the inside of the small rest room. The whimper which escaped was muffled by Booth as he latched on Brennan's swollen lips. Wrestling for control, Brennan found it when she thrust her body against Booth, who had seemingly melted into her touch. Shoving him backwards, Booth landed on top of the toilet lid, his eyes searching her body before meeting her eyes, they were dark, fiery and full of want and need. She wasn't an overly slim woman, but...the way her black pencil skirt hugged her hips, made Booth's pants tent that little bit more.

Drowned on his own fantasies Booth didn't notice her movement until Brennan had slammed her weight down onto his crotch and resting atop his straining erection. Dipping her head to his neck, Brennan sucked and nipped at the exposed skin, like Booth had done moments before, while her hips rotated to an unmapped rhythm. Stifling a groan, Booth grabbed hold of her back placing an intense pressure into the rotation, while his spare hand fingers ghosted over the buttons of her cream blouse, undoing the buttons two at a time to reveal her perked breasts, only contained by the red lace material.

In the midst of her rotating motion, Brennan rose from her seat, taking a small step back so her back was against the cool mirror, the friction of hot against cold, relieving as she let a seductive smile run across her lips as she fiddled with the zip of her skirt. She watched as Booth's eyes trailed the skirt to the ground as it pooled, leaving her in nothing but her matching pair of red lace panties. She shrugged the cotton material from her shoulders and leant over towards Booth; her pebbled breasts just inches away from his face as she uncharacteristically ripped the buttons away from his shirt. Teasing him just slightly, Brennan stepped away again, her action making Booth whimper at the loss of contact, and for the second time that very week, she was in control. He was allowing her to be in control. Experimentally, she turned, her face staring into the mirror, as she noticed a light pink hue had climbed on her cheeks; forgetting about the mirror, Brennan stepped backwards onto Booth's lap, her bare back against his bare chest as her core throbbed with the need to be fulfilled.

Grinding her hips back against Booth's crotch, Brennan felt his hand wind its way around to her panty-clad sex. Her cry was faint when his fingers dipped into her core, and for a moment her motions stopped, before his fingers began a rhythm she too could uphold.

They both could feel their peaks coming, and with a quickening speed Brennan knew that sooner rather than later she would be in pure ecstasy. Booth too knew he was approaching, quicker than he ever thought possible, and she wasn't touching him…she was, but not in the way he had ever imaged, and definitely _not_ in the toilet of her office.

Brennan could feel her juices starting to spill, no matter how much she clenched her walls and she couldn't stop them from spilling. She wanted to cum like anything, the rippling throb gripping her body was intense, but she wanted to feel him fall with her - knowing that they'd been doing this to one another. Gliding her fingers to behind her, Brennan fiddled with Booth's button and fly, before exposing his cock through the seams of his plaid boxers. Giving him a stroke which matched the strokes he was giving her, a seductive smile ran across her parted lips, as her eyes became a whole new shade of blue.

Lifting herself from him, which caused a groan from both their behalves at the loss of contact, Brennan slammed her weight back down on his tented erection, her face looking to his before rolling on her shoulders, the pure thrill starting to become too much for her rupturing body. Booth grabbed her hips and began a quickened rotation over his cock which stood tall, the dry humping action bring the most delectable sensation to Brennan's clitoris. Becoming aware of what was happening again, after a little daze, Brennan increased her speed once again, their breaths becoming irregular just to match the pace of their thrusts.

Bucking her hips onto his bare erection, Brennan let her head fall back as her body began to violently shake as her orgasm came over her body. The rotations increased even more as Booth sought his own release, although it took a little longer, but no more than a minute, Booth too began shaking violently against Brennan's body.

"BONES!"

The spasms quaked through their bodies as Brennan collapsed against Booth's bare chest. Their breathing heavy as they each gasped for much needed air as they rode out their releases.

It took quite a while for each to recover from the tingling sensations which rippled through their bodies, but when they did, Booth captured Brennan's lips in his own.

"Wow."

Dropping her head to the crook of Booth's neck, Brennan let her eyes start to flutter close, "If that's anything like the real thing…"

"Baby, just you wait…"


	6. Frozen

**A/N: Yes, yes, yes, I know. It's been a while. A very long time since I last update this, my beautiful Beta Naomi is an extremely busy mum and women. That's why, I took the initiative and just posted this, without her Beta'ring it. So please go easy on me with the mistakes. **

**Last, just before you can get on reading, I won't beg, but the little green/orange coloured button down the bottom hates to be deglected. **

**-BB-**

**Frozen**

It had taken both Brennan and Booth quite some time to recover from their little bathroom fiasco; so while Booth went to grab the pair of jeans, shirt and jumper from the back of the SUV, Brennan took the time to grab a quick shower in the decontamination showers, readily available in one of the experimental rooms. Having nothing else to change into Brennan groaned when her only choice was to either shrug into her wrecked skirt and blouse or squeeze into the dress she was suppose to wear to the ball. Displeased with having to wear it, Brennan struggled into the form fitting garment. The dress was beautiful, no doubt about it, it was a gorgeous strapless black and white tulle – the way the firm material around the breasts overlapped in black and white dots, the black belt and grey flower held just under the cleavage and flowered out into a prominent black skirt, small white dots bringing a shimmer to the layered skirt if caught under the light. A pair of simple silver strapped heels complimented the dress to finish the outfit.

Scrunching her nose up slightly, Brennan groaned and cursed under her breath as she stepped out into the Medico-Legal Lab. The clicking of her heels against the slate floor and the faint laughter and music of the Winter Ball echoed through the cold, empty lab, enough silence for Brennan to hear her own thoughts. She knew it was impossible for her to hear her own thoughts, she so knew she could never voice what she metaphorically heard, knowing she'd get an astonished look from Booth, a cheesy laughter and endless grilling about her confession. When she reached her office, Booth was sitting in the secluded shadows on her coach, phone to his ear and pen to paper as his knee bounced up and down, a disgruntled look on his face.

Snapping his phone shut, Booth pulled himself from the coach and smiled as he strolled across to where Brennan was standing in the door.

"You look beautiful," He said, wrapping his arms around Brennan's waist and pulling her into his chest, his chin resting on top of her wet hair, the faint scent of soap washing through his senses.

"We have a case don't we?" Brennan asked. If Booth didn't know better, he would have sworn he heard her whine at the fact she had to go do her job. He could imagine her nose flaring against the steady beat of his heart, a crease across her brow line, a slight turn of the lips.

"Yeah, we do. It's a five hour drive, we better get going," The tinge of guilt and unease was evident in Booth's voice, even Brennan could tell, but she wasn't too sure on what to say. She didn't know if she should enquire why Booth suddenly felt uneasy, or if she should just leave it.

In the end, Booth made the decision for her as he shoved her kit in her arms and grabbed her discarded clothing from her desk, leading her from her office with his all too familiar gesture, his hand on the small of her back.

**o0o**

Like predicted, Booth arrived at the crime scene nearly five hours later, and just after two o'clock in the morning. As he pulled the Toyota Sequoia into park, Brennan glanced to her silent partner, he'd been silent for most of the car ride here, only talking if necessary and when he pulled through the drive through at McDonalds to grab two weakened coffee's and a large box of fries to share. Although his unusual silence was odd, Brennan quickly released why that had been, a small light bulb finally went off in her genius mind.

"Booth, we're in-"

"I know Bones," His voice was as grim and weak as his smile, his eyes had lost the usual warm, upbeat brown and were replaced with dark sadness.

To comprehend his agitation, Brennan went into professional mode, her car door slamming close as the scattered FBI techs and others quickly glimpsed to the echoing noise. They were at an old park, a rundown park, the creaking of the swings clunked in the cold winds, her feet crunching under her feet as she stepped across the pine bark. The usually incapable FBI techs had constructed a canopy covering the remains from the slight drizzle which falling from the dark sky, stars barely visible through the array of large clouds.

In the midst of getting closer to the decomposed remains, Brennan and Booth had parted; Brennan still on track to do what she does best, while Booth headed in an opposite direction to find the officer in charge. His breathing was deep, his steps heavy, his composure slouched, obviously being here had made him unnerved, but Brennan didn't want to pry.

She didn't know how long he'd been conversing with the officer in charge, but she soon felt him behind her, his eyes boring over her, roaming her body and letting his eyes trace her curves and rounded ass.

"Male, late 30's to early 40's, Caucasian," The words she recited, were like many other cases, brief details while she studied the remains.

"Anything else Bones?" Swallowing hard, his breath became raged, his lip quivered and Booth let his eyes drop to the remains for the first time as they lay out on a tarp.

"There's a childhood tibia break, which may help in identification," Glancing over her shoulder, Brennan weakly smiled to the lost man, his brain going at the million miles an hour, trying to compose himself.

"Okay," Shallow and small, Booth's voice was barely audible, but Brennan heard and when she turned to face him ago, all she saw was his shadow walking into the distance.

**o0o**

An hour later, Brennan had Cam on satellite and apologised profusely for ruining her weekend away with Michelle. She'd also gathered enough evidence for Angela to start looking through missing person's on her database and had told Hodgins' she would have soil samples, other particulates and the skeletal system couriered to the Jeffersonian in the morning - time of arrival, just after noon.

Looking around the now empty park, all except for a couple of techs and officers, who all seemed to be huddled around an urn for coffee and cake, Brennan couldn't see Booth, even as she craned her neck, to give herself a better view. Sighing, she blew a lock of hair away from her face and let a shiver run the length of her body. Booth had bought her his jacket, after their initial findings, but the cool winter's wind which whipped past her face, couldn't deny the chatter of her teeth.

Suddenly feeling the urgency to use the bathroom, Brennan started to head towards the park restrooms, her eyes always scanning the park for one, Seeley Booth.

She didn't seem him until her body crashed against his, both stumbling backwards at the forced interlocking.

"Bones!"

"Booth!"

She gave him the once over, her eyes dropping to his, the tears which trekked down his cheeks glistened in the faint buzzing bug light, as Brennan outstretched her delicate fingers to run them over his features; "I know it's hard for you to be back in Pittsburgh. This is where you grew up, this is the place your father abused you, Booth. It's okay to be unnerved."

Letting out a deep breath, Booth sunk against the brick toilet wall, "I know."

Stepping into his stance, her legs between his, Brennan let her fingertips run through the back of his mocha hair, his arms instinctively wrapping around her waist, as each pressed their lips to one another, this softness of their lips, contrasting to the heavy sorrow each was feeling against the night air.

They stood there for quite a while, pressing light kisses to their lips, immersed in each other's comfort. But after some time, Brennan finally broke the silence.

"You talk and I'll give you pie."

"This could be potentially someone I know…" His ragged words were frayed by his heavy breaths. His hands roamed over her waist and down to her ass, rounding his open palms over the perfect curves.

Brennan gave him open-mouthed, hot kisses to his neck, nipping and sucking at the tanned skin, grazing her teeth along column of his Adam's apple and throat. She breathed in his scent as his hands, ran up to her breasts, thumping her perked nipples through the material of her dress.

"This could be someone I know," His repeated words earned a rush of blood towards his groin as Brennan crashed her lips to his trying to ease the pain he was suffering from.

Brennan continued to nip, suck and scrape at Booth's tanned complexion for several minutes. Her worries about the case being pushed to the back of her mind, along with the thought of being caught by one of the officers or technicians. She pulled away reluctantly after her tongue slid over the hollow column of Booth's throat, her thumb pad brushing over his cheekbone as they each weakly smiled.

She cleared her throat, "Keep talking."

Exhaling deeply, Booth let his head fall against the brick wall. Crossing his arms across his cross, he began the chew his bottom lip "Being here…its bringing back memories, Bones. I left for a reason, as soon as I finished school, I left. I enrolled in the Army and was sent into a warzone six months later for further training. I needed to escape and now…" He paused, his eyes glistening with a new batch of salty tears, "And now I'm back here. I'm back to where it all begun."

This is the exact reason why Brennan didn't like to divulge in emotions; she couldn't handle them. She didn't have answers for them. She didn't know how to help others. This was Booth's domain, not hers. _What would Booth do? _The constant question was running through Brennan's mind as a single tear broke from his brown orb, streaming slowly down his cheek and leaving a burnt trail behind it.

"_You have to offer up something of yourself first." _

That was it, she had to give a little of herself up. That's what Booth had told her on the Cleo Eller case, offer a little of yourself up every now and again.

"I've never been back to Chicago. I can't bring myself to go back, I don't have _your_ willpower to overcome my fears Booth," Her own tears were starting to brim in her eyes, thinking back over her past, "I try to forget about the day my parents left me."

A small, barely visible smile crooked on Booth's lips as he reached out and tugged on Brennan's elbow, bringing her in close to his chest. He nuzzled his nose down into her hair, which fell by her shoulders, the soft scent washing through his senses as a surge of blood rushed to his heart and groin. Letting a moan pass through his lips, Booth moved his open palms down the curves of Brennan's body.

"Pie?" Brennan asked.

"Pie," Booth answered.

Neither needed to be told twice, as Booth dragged them around to the back of the toilet black, giving them a little more privacy, than either a stall or where they were standing. The darkness which enthralled, gave a sweet revenge for their actions, as Booth slammed Brennan's back against the bricks, his suit jacket falling to the soft, dew grass on the ground. Bunching the bottom of Brennan's dress up around her breasts, Booth wrestled with the black material of her panties, as he managed to get them mid thigh. Slowly, he let a finger dip into the soft patch of curls covering her painfully throbbing nub. In the time, they'd suggested pie, to Booth about to insert a finger into her sex; Brennan had become considerately wet, her libido becoming ripe. She moaned loudly as Booth inserted a finger, her moan reduced by Booth's lip tenderly pressing to hers. He inserted another fingers, alternating between flicking and circling her clit and giving her an immense, desirable pleasure.

As her body began to quake, Booth kept a gratifyingly pace with his fingers, allowing her juices to flow over his fingers and drip over his hand, like an extra juicy orange when trying to eat the delectable fruit. He summoned her lips to his, grazing his tongue along her back incisors, before dragging her tongue into his mouth, letting her tongue find their own way around - each fighting for dominance in one's mouth.

It took her several minutes to regain a sustainable composure as Booth let his fingers fall from her sex, a whimper escaping her lips at the loss of contact, while Booth's erection strained painfully, pulling tight in front of his jeans. His face scrunched at the pulsating throb.

Brennan knew she had to help Booth, so with a quick flick of her fingers, she'd undone the buttons and unzipped the fly on his jeans, wriggling them down his thighs, before doing the same to his plaid boxers. She smirked at his hard-on and dropped to her knees, peppering light kisses between his thighs, trailing up towards his stiff member. Flicking her tongue over his balls, she casually glanced up to Booth, the strain evident on his features, as he pressed a kiss to the base of his length before breathing hotly, sending a shiver up Booth's spine. She continued to nip at the skin of his groin and take each ball into her mouth, leaving her to tease the undersides.

His breathing had become low, his eyes had shut and a crisp smile had been place on his lips, as his hands worked the tendrils of her hair, savoring the sensation from below and willing his orgasm to hold, just until she'd taken him in the mouth. He moaned as he tongue thrashed against his cock, easing up his length, giving a quick kiss to the tip before sliding back down. He didn't know how long she did it, but the longer she did it, the more will power he had to give to hold off his peak. The excruciating pounding in his cock, had Booth's hands balled into fists. His moans and groans becoming more frequent and lively as Brennan kept teasing.

She knew it was driving him crazy, over the edge, but she needed to give him something to help him forget. Moaning herself, Brennan pursed her lips into an O, as she finally let her lips close in around his erection. The pressure and warmth of her mouth sliding along his penis was pleasant and finally Booth began to relax, although the pressure in the tip of his cock began to peak and he knew it would be sooner rather than later that he'd be spilling into her.

His body began to quake and he could feel a smile resonating on Brennan's lip as she swallowed his seed. The overwhelming sensation to fuck her pulled into his mind, but Booth wasn't going to let it happen, not here and not now, he would fuck her in time, but not now; so he had to settle with the fantasy of fucking her against the toilet brick wall, as he rode out his orgasm.

"Fuck," He groans as Brennan's mouth leaves the tip of his cock with a reverberating _pop _of her lips, the seductive smile evident on her pursed lips as he battles to stand. She helps him back into his boxers and jeans, while he helps her back into her panties and smoothes her dress back down.

"Did I help you forget, even just for a little while?" She asks coyly, a little shyly.

He nods and pressing a soft languid kiss to her lips, "Yes."

"Good," She smiles into his mouth, warmth running to both their hearts, "Good."


	7. Grief

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**Grief**

It had been over a week, closer to two, by the time Brennan and Booth could finally return home from Pittsburgh. The case was hard, grueling and tough for both – Booth especially. They'd done all they could to avoid the subject, but it lingered in her mind, she knew it lingered in his too. Three times while they were away, she helped him forget. She always managed to help him open up, reveal a little of his past. They avoided the streets of his old neighbourhood, although it was difficult due to the body being dumped in his childhood haven, the park, the place he would hide out when things got unbearable at home. She found out Nicholas McCann, the victim, was a close friend to Booth - they still kept in touch; he was a father, a husband and a man of nature. He loved the outdoors, the open space, but it bought little comfort to Booth to know he died defending the park's honor. The local council was going to pull it down, only to replace it with a money-making petrol station.

On their return to Washington DC, Booth let Brennan drive; he slept most of the way and then she helped him forget once again, when they got to his apartment. It took him another week, to fully forget the experience, before he had travelled back to Pittsburgh, _alone_, for the funeral. On his return, Brennan helped him forget, yet again. But with the final time, she helped him forget, she could see a glint of happiness in his eyes. He was no longer in the first six stages, which he seemed to cop all at once; the shock, the denial, the pain and the guilt, the anger, the loneliness, the upward turn and the reconstruction of life without the loved one. With that all passed, he was finally in the final stage – acceptance. He'd finally accepted he couldn't have stopped what had happened to Nick and now all he could do was to remember the good times.

On Friday, three days after Nick's funeral, Booth finally showed at Brennan's door with a six pack of beer under his arm and a posy of daffodils and daisy's in the other. She greeted him with a hug and murmured words of comfort into his ear, which he smiled to and thanked her for.

"How are you feeling Booth?" Brennan asked while she plated up their macaroni and cheese, at the same time Booth cracked open two bottles of beer.

They planned to finalize the last of the paperwork from Nick's death and knowing Booth couldn't do it alone, Brennan suggest he come over Friday night; she would cook them her Mac and Cheese, if he bought the beer and they would do it together, like most other times. It was an offer Booth couldn't refuse, her Mac and Cheese was the best in DC.

"Eh, so, so. I saw Sweets again this afternoon; he reckons it will be good to finally close the door on Nick's murder." Booth shrugged as he took a long swig of the amber liquid, a smile forming on the corner of his lips around the rim of the bottle.

"I didn't know you were seeing Sweets," Brennan mused as she placed a plate in front of Booth and sat in her own seat. She grasped the bottle between her fingers and took a sip.

"Once or twice," His smile weakened as he placed the bottle back on the table, "Can we just eat."

"Yeah, we can." Brennan replied and they fell into a silence as they ate their dinner. Brennan glanced over to him every couple of minutes just to make sure he was okay. Booth knew she was looking to him and he smiled internally knowing she cared.

He just wanted to get this over, he just wanted to forget. He couldn't compartmentalize like Brennan could, he wish he could. But no matter how hard he tried, he wasn't that sort of person, he felt emotions. Sure, Bones did, but not like him. He thrived on his gut instinct and being a people's person. He would always put others ahead of himself – Parker in particular. He would do anything for that little boy. He savored each time the eight year old gave him a hug, each time he mimicked the devastating 'charm' smile and each time Parker would say _'I love you dad'._

**o0o**

They finished eating in silence. They even washed the dishes and put them away in silence. And the silence continued as they finished the detailed paperwork following the Nicholas McCann case. By the time the silence was reigning on Brennan's shoulder, she couldn't quite read the minute hands on her watch. Her eyes felt heavy with sleep and with the blur that was occurring from her retinas and her mind buzzing in a haze. If Booth had asked her what the time was, she wouldn't be able to tell him, as focusing her eyes on her watch and telling him what the time actual time was, would cause her to use energy and memory she just didn't have. All she could think about was climbing into bed, fully clothed, and falling into a deep sleep that would last for days on end. She didn't even try to suppress the yawn which passed through her lips as she finally let the pen drop to the coffee table and closing the manila folder for the final time.

Lolling his head onto the back of the couch, Booth let his eyes flutter close as he stretched out his longer limbs.

"I should probably get going."

"Stay. The guest room's made up and I would rather you not be on the road," Sincerity. Plead. Want. They all filled the tiresome eyes of Brennan as she pulled herself into a standing position, her shoulders hunched over as another yawn passed through her.

Pulling himself from the chair, Booth managed to get a small smile on his exhausted features, "Okay. Thanks Bones."

"You're welcome to use the bathroom if you like, there should be a towel hanging on the rack, if not they're in the linen cupboard in the laundry. I'm just going to go straight to bed," Rolling her head on her shoulders Brennan stumbled forward, only to be caught in Booth's scrambling arms. "Ah, thanks."

"No problem." A sudden awkwardness developed between the pair as Brennan steadied herself on her own two feet and pulled away from Booth's arms.

"I, ah…I'm just going," Pointing towards her room, Brennan cleared her throat.

"Yeah, I'm yeah," Defusing the situation Booth stepped from Brennan's way and that's when they parted ways and went in their separate directions.

**o0o**

Brennan woke the next morning to the fresh smell of coffee washing through her senses and a stream of sunlight blinding her eyes. Pulling herself up against the backboard of her bed, Brennan had to smile at the steaming cup of coffee Booth must have recently bought in sitting on her bedside table on a saucer. Booth. She vaguely remembered telling him to stay the night – but had he already left? – She didn't know. Reaching across, she bought the mug to her lips savoring the dark brew before letting the liquid warm her esophagus and heat her insides; the warm, fuzzy feeling making her chuckle. Giving a quick glance over to her alarm clock, she had to double check the digits when they read _10:26AM. _Did she sleep through her alarm? Did Booth turn it off when he bought in her coffee? Surely not, her alarm is set for 6:30AM every morning. The only time it wouldn't echo through her room is when the power goes off during the night. Had the power gone off? No, it couldn't have, the red digits weren't flashing. They were stuck on the numerics of _10:27AM. _

Sighing, Brennan climbed out of bed, still fully clothed from the night before in her pair of denim washed jeans and casual blouse. A slight chill ran the length of her body when her feet fell into the comfort of the carpet beneath her, a yawn passing through her lips as she stretched in the sunlight which peaked through the drawn cotton curtains.

There he was. Still in her apartment. As she opened her bedroom door and padded barefoot down her hallway, Brennan found Booth in her kitchen, cracking eggs into a bowl and listening to the radio which sat atop her bench top. She noticed he was clean shaven and she guessed he'd found a new razor in the bathroom cabinet.

"Is there any more coffee?" Her words had startled him, but he turned towards her with a large smile and a twinkle in his eyes.

"She wakes," He laughed grabbing another egg from the carton as if it were an automatic process, "And yes, in the pot."

"What are you making?" She asked, peering over Booth's shoulder as she rounded the kitchen bench, reaching steadily for the coffee pot.

"Egg white florentine, with spinach," Even though it wasn't something Booth would usually have for breakfast, he was in Brennan's apartment, so he felt as if he should make something she liked; which just happened to be egg white florentine. With Brennan being an ovo-lacto vegetarian which allows her to eat eggs, milk and honey, it gave him more options of what to cook her for breakfast, but his selection was still limited. "It won't be ready for a while, go have a shower."

"Okay. Thanks," Pushing her weight from where she was leaning against the marbled bench top, Booth watched as Brennan slipped past him and back down the hall and into her bedroom.

Shaking his head and letting a chuckle erupt from his chest, Booth went back to making the breakfast, in hope that it would sound more appetizing when cooked than it did at the present moment.

**o0o**

He never meant to walk in on her naked; but when he did, he couldn't bring himself to slink out of the room, instead, he let his eyes roam over her slim body and clear his throat. He thought she would go scrambling for covers, maybe scream, but she didn't. She simply stayed turned towards her dresser, giving Booth the perfect view of her ass. The rounded moulds perfectly sculptured then fell down to her long legs, the ivory skin contouring her into a faultless female specimen.

"Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to do something?" He could have sworn he saw her sway her hips, inviting him to grind his now straining erection into her petite ass. He glimpsed at the shadow on the dresser bearing her hanging breasts and he suddenly felt his hand curling to hold them in his large calloused hands.

However, he couldn't seem to form any words. A thick lump had formed in the back of his throat causing the intended words to never be heard. But in the time, he tried to speak, he had managed to move over to where Brennan was standing, his hands wrapping around her stomach and creeping up to cup her breasts, one in each hand with him thumbs twirling her nipples. All while he pressed butterfly kisses to her nape. She relaxed into his touch as a soft elicit moan turned deep as Booth pinched on the dusky pink buds.

"Booth, oh _god_," Never had a man been able to stimulate her by just massaging her breasts and paying attention to her needs. Booth however was not just any other man. He was her partner, her friend, her-

"Shit." In her trans-state Booth had managed to move them from the dresser to her bed, both landing on the mattress in a heavy thud, but Booth lips never parted from their place on Brennan's neck; the nipping and sucking bringing another pleasurable moan to her lips.

It was Booth's time to groan when Brennan pulled at his Cocky belt buckle, pulling the leather through the hoops and letting it drop to the floor, his jeans hastily been thrown aside along with his shirt in quick successions.

"_Oh God_," Booth had been called many things in his life - Shrimp, Pin Up, Stud, Booth, Sex on Legs – but never God. He liked the way it rolled from her tongue, as her pelvis bucked towards his strained erection grinding into her inner thigh, begging to enter her in one slow sweep. He would do anything to make love to her, but he wouldn't. Not until she would admit there was something between then.

That was when the pin dropped her Booth.

In that heated moment, where Brennan's fingers were dipping beneath the waistband of his blue plaid boxers, Booth realised if he didn't stop it here, he would be breaking his own promises. He would fuck her. Right there, in that very moment of time.

"Fuck," The final realization set in when Brennan's fingers wrapped around his cock, squeezing tightly, "We have to stop." Pushing himself from off of Brennan, he rolled onto his back on the mattress, his breathing deep and heavy as he tried to will him libido away.

"Why?"

"I'm not going to fuck you Bones. Not until you admit this is leading to something and even then I won't fuck you senseless. I'll make love you like no other man has," Propping himself up on one elbow, he leant down and pressed a kiss to her clavicle. Her blue eyes had darkened into a complete new shade of blue, as they stood full of uncertainty.

"I don't think I can Booth," Her eyes searched his for answers, but when they came up with nothing, she resorted to biting her hand, until it drew blood and waited for his answer.

Sighing, Booth dragged himself from the mattress and into a standing position where he slipped his jeans back on, one leg at a time, "Tell me how you feel, or this ends here, because I _will_ walk away from your apartment and not look back."

Sitting up, Brennan suddenly felt vulnerable. One word she would never use on herself, but that's just how she felt. Climbing from the mattress, she ducked around Booth and over towards her dresser, the same place their assault on one another started. This time, she reached into one of the drawers and slipped into a pair of panties, before doing the same with a matching front-clasp bra.

"I feel strongly for you Booth," Still she didn't turn from the dresser as she spoke, she found tears welling behind her eyes as she spoke, "You're my work partner, my best friend..I don't know what else you want from me."

"I want you to admit there's more between us than that Temperance."

"Like what Seeley?" The hiss in her voice when she spoke his name was like a stab in the heart for Booth, "I don't believe in marriage, so what do you want from me?"

"There doesn't have to be marriage. I just want to know if you see a future for us. Maybe going on the occasional date, having a sporadic argument over the laundry and what to have for dinner. Hell, I wouldn't care if we argued over what side of the bed to sleep on at night. I just want to know if you see that in our future."

Turning around, Brennan first noticed the locked jaw on Booth's glaring face, his eyes dark and powerful, making her feel small against his larger body. "I don't know. Maybe."

"Until you work it out, this won't happen again. Maybe we should just have a strictly professional partnership." He wasn't yelling, but the haste and anger in his voice had the same effect and it seemed to belittle Brennan.

She watched on as Booth walked out from her bedroom, the door slamming closed and making her jump. "Booth."

But her words were lost in the bedroom, as she heard her front door slam closed behind him.


	8. Heartbreak

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**Heartbreak**

The 24hour gym on 12th Street didn't know what hit then when Seeley Booth barged through the doors at 11:30AM on Saturday morning. He didn't like that he left Brennan that way, but he really or absolutely didn't like to be used. He was wary about her little 'solution' to their problems in the start and now he regretted even agreeing to it at all. He hoped, prayed even, that she would see sense and admit there was more between them than she let on. But no, her stubborn little genius brain had to always win out. But this time he wasn't going to beg for mercy – he had definitely made up in mind on that. The painful stabbing in the heart that had occurred on many occasions was enough for him. He'd given up his heart for her, one too many times; and with each time he let himself become immersed in the situation, something would happen. However this time, he felt as if he was the one that fucked up.

The gym was exceptionally quiet for a Saturday morning, all except the grunts and groans coming from Booth as he worked his body into an unnatural state. He'd warded off, with a selection of not too polite words, two personal trainers who had confronted him on the strenuous cardiovascular regime he was enduring. He'd already completed ten kilometers on the treadmill at eighteens kilometers an hour, four kilometers on the exercise bike, four kilometers on the cross-trainer, 500 meters on the rowing machine and twenty repetitions of both bicep curls and lateral dumbbell raises with ten kilo dumbbells.

It wasn't until he finished the 200 crunches and pushups that he finally gave in, unable to move from the floor. His back ached in an acute throbbing pain that seemed to outweigh the rest of his body.

Then for the first time in years, Seeley Booth cried. The pain and hurt being washed down his face from the tears falling from his usually warm brown orbs.

"I don't know your story, I don't _want_ to know your story, but working yourself to a point where you burn out is no way in doing it," Cracking an eye open, Booth saw the floor manager hovering over his face, a bottle of orange Gatorade being extending in his direction.

"It made me feel better," Booth retorted, pulling himself into a sitting position, oh so slowly, before grabbing the Gatorade from the manager's hand, chugging half the orange energy drink in one fell swoop.

"Did it though?"

Booth's answer came in a sigh, "No."

"I didn't think so," Seizing the now empty Gatorade bottle, the floor manager who was wearing the nametag of 'David', helped Booth into a standing position and passed him a chilled bottle of water, "Drink this."

Booth did as he was told as he didn't have the energy in him to refuse. Beads of sweat collaborated on each inch of his now, well defined human anatomy, his pours working in overtime to dehydrate his body, only to be restored by the liquid provided.

"Look mate, as I said, I don't want to know your story, but I'm guessin' it 'bout a girl," A smile tugged at David's lips when Booth nodded, "She broke up with you?"

"Just broke my heart," Booth pushed off the wall he was leaning on, starting to walk towards the showers and changing room, "But I'm the one who screwed up."

**o0o**

The silent tears had faded in the time Booth had left, but a bout of hiccups had taken their place. Brennan felt nonplussed over his reaction, but she felt an understanding as to why. Their conversation had been playing over and over in her head as she dressed in a pair of yoga pants and tee shirt. It had also replayed as she ate the breakfast Booth had laid out on her dining room table hours before – eggs flourtine, a selection of fruits and fresh coffee, all now cold. But when the morning rolled into the afternoon, she let the conversation leave her head, her now main focus on getting a new chapter to her publisher before Monday.

_The bead of sweat which rolled from Andy's brow showed the amount of strength and endurance he'd just partaken in; the rhythmic love making becoming his true calling as Kathy lay sated before him._

If she were writing on a piece of paper, she would have scrunched it into a ball and thrown it across her living room; but she wasn't, so she couldn't. Instead she hit the delete key and the sex scene was now far from her glowing laptop screen.

"Stupid, incompetent bastard" Her muttered sentence and knitted brow showed her frustration. So did the resonant slap of her laptop lid closing before being tossed to the other end of the couch, without a care in the world. If that hadn't shown her frustration towards Booth, than the merciless pacing may have just topped the cake; the distress clear in her stride and on her features.

This was the exact time Brennan wished she owned a pet. As pet wouldn't let her down or break her metaphorical heart. A cat would maybe be suitable. But Booth hates cats. _Booth. _Since he first left, that's all that was on her mind, not the conversation per se, but him, as an individual. She tried to push him from her mind to write her novel chapter, but that was him making sweet, heavenly love to her. That was her crying out _his_ name as she shattered like a piece of glass beneath him. It wasn't Andy and Kathy. It was Brennan and Booth. Booth and Bones. Temperance and Seeley. No matter how hard she tried, everything revolved around them; two individuals coming together and joining as a symbolic one.

When her pacing became even too much for herself, Brennan stepped into her bedroom, the lingering smell of Booth hovering in the air as if to haunt her. Sighing, she brushed a hand over her forehead and grabbed a pair of jeans from her wardrobe, changing into the denim before grabbing a cardigan, slipping into the thin material and sliding into a pair of black flats.

She deposited the yoga pants in the clothes basket in her ensuite before making her way back through her apartment and into the kitchen and dining. The chewing of her bottom lip and the crossing then uncrossing of her arms began when she spotted the bouquet of daffodils and daisies sitting in a vase on the middle of her dining table. They were a truly beautiful, the richness in the white and yellow array and the smell of freshness.

Turning from the bouquet, Brennan made her way through to the hallway grabbing her keys from the sofa table and leaving the apartment in the same way as Booth had done just hours before.

**o0o**

From the gym Booth headed to the one place, other than his local Catholic Church, that he knew he would be able to be in peace and quiet – his apartment. However, he never realised just how quiet his apartment would be.

Old spices and leather lingered in the air as Booth stepped foot into his bedroom, his bed thrown together with a week's collection of clothes scattered along the underlying carpet. Running a hand over his stubble, Booth dropped his hand to his side and let his head roll around his shoulders. Feeling a little tension lift from his shoulders, Booth decided the only thing he could do to let his mind escape from the recurring problem was to clean. Usually he was a very clean man. However, somehow his apartment had lacked being physically cleaned in quite some time. In retrospect, Booth found his 'Bones Issue' as the point of blame. Giving his head a light shake, Booth snapped out of the 'blame game' and started by stripping the sheets from his bed, leaving the mattress in the line of the sun drifting through his now open windows. Carefully he pulled the doona cover from the doona and along with the sheets dumped them into a pile next to his bedroom door. Next he gathered the littered clothes from the ground and together with the sheets, he placed them into garbage bags for a load or two of laundry down in the complex shared Laundry Mat. Walking back through to his bedroom, Booth grabbed a feather-duster from the cupboard in the kitchen and set the rest of the cleaning products on the kitchen bench, at the ready for use.

He dusted every surface in his bedroom, including the two bedside tables and the backboard of his bed. Satisfied with the cleaning job, Booth walked back out of his bedroom and grabbed a set of clean sheets, doona cover and pillow cases from the linen cupboard in the hall. Quickly he made his bed up in the crisp navy blue sheets, and wrestled the doona cover back on the doona in a matching shade of blue, before he slipped the pillow cases, also in the same shade of blue, back into the pillows. With the bed made, Booth stepped away from the bed, surveying the room with a smile planted across his lips.

"One room down," Pleased with the outcome, Booth sprayed the room with a scented spray and slipped through the door, closing it gently behind him.

In the time he'd cleaned his bedroom, he'd been able to make a mental list of what he wanted to do and in what order - Bedroom, Bathroom, Lounge, Parker's Bedroom before finally settling on the Kitchen. He would then head down to the underground Laundry-Mat, place his washing in the provided machines and leave them to wash, while he headed out to the grocery store to replenish his stocks.

Having already showered at the gym before changing back into his clothes from the night before, Booth set about cleaning the shower first, pouring the cleansing liquid on all surfaces. Having read the instructions Booth noted he had to leave the liquid for 15minutes before wiping it away. In that time, he'd managed to shave, clean the basin and vanity, and pour an ample amount of liquid in the bathtub, which rarely got used. Just before he set about finishing the clean on the shower, Booth opened the mirror cupboard with extreme caution. The inside of the mirror cavity, was structured into three shelves, with plenty of depth. In the end, Booth threw out a packet of expired condoms, which were hidden from view for Parker's sake, an empty can of deodorant and an empty bottle of aftershave. Giving the bathroom the same scented spray as his bedroom, Booth stepped back through the door, closing it behind him.

After that, Booth headed into his lounge, which he had to admit, needed a little more care than any other room. But, when he started, he made little work of the rest. Magazines were stacked away in a small bookcase, his scotch and other alcoholic beverages were locked away in the draws of his large end table in the corner. He stacked the several TV remotes, four to be exact, on the coffee table in the middle of the lounge before pulled out the cushions of the couch and shoving them back into place with some care. An old beer bottle was chucked in the recycle in the kitchen, before Booth dusted each surface, before spraying the air.

He hated moving things around in Parker's room, but he knew he had to. The young boy's single bed was stripped and new sheets, pillow cases and doona cover, in a dark army green replacing them. He stacked away the toys and replaced the books in the bookshelf and opened a window, to let the winter sun's ray beam through. Again Booth dusted and sprayed before leaving the boy's room in peace.

The kitchen was easy enough. He washed, dried and put away the dishes, cleaned the surfaces with a surface spray and cleaned out his fridge with many expired or moldy items being thrown straight in the garbage bin. Booth then went on to mentally compile a list of things he would need, including a six-pack of his favourite beer, before gathering the garbage and tying it into a knot, depositing it next to the front door with the washing.

Grinning at his job done, Booth gathered the bags and closed the door behind himself, a slight whistle ringing through his teeth as he took the stairs two at a time down towards the basement of the building.

**o0o**

Brennan drove, and drove, and drove. And before she realised, the sun had started to set in her eyesight, as she continued to drive along the 66 and over the Potomac River, for the fourth time that very day. However this time, she was driving towards DC and home.

Temperance Brennan was never one to cry, yet when she first stopped her 2008 Toyota Prius at a truck stop just out of Arlington, she wept - for twenty minutes straight. It took her another half hour to regain her composure, before she turned back onto the main road and headed back in the DC direction.

Although she was rarely 'up with the times' so Angela and Booth would say, she turned the radio up on high and listened to the latest hits playing through her speakers. She now had a vague idea on who Lady Gaga and Britney Spears were.

Her disbelief was apparent when she pulled the car into park. She didn't know why she was here, but somehow this is where she ended up. This was just another mystery; like the rest of the places she had pulled up to as she drove. First she stopped at the Arlington National Cemetery, where she placed a single rose on the grave of Teddy, the man who died in combat with Booth. Brennan didn't know why she did it, but she did. She then stopped at her mother's grave, stood there for a while, with no small dolphin to gather as evidence or her father to stalk up behind her. It was just her and her mother. She tried to talk, listen for the answers like Booth had told her to do, but as she anticipated, she didn't get an answer.

But maybe she had. Maybe this was her mother's answer.

Pulling the keys from the ignition, Brennan stepped out of her car and locked it behind her as she stepped onto the small concrete path leading down the Church's heavy wooden door. Expecting the doors to be closed, Brennan was surprised when they opened with little give. As soon as she stepped into the confines, she noticed the scattering of a few people on different pews, praying for guidance in life, along with many other things. She mentally cursed to herself for even getting out of the car, when she slowly started walking up to the front, her limbs shaking beneath her as she settled in front of the candles. Just to make sure, no one she knew was behind her, Brennan peered over her shoulder, before scrounging around in her jeans pockets for some change to put in a donations tin to light a candle. $1 gave you one candle to light, $2 gave you three. After some thought, mostly arguing within herself as to why she was even here, Brennan lit a single candle.

"Who are you praying for my love?" A small voice came from behind Brennan.

Turning, Brennan saw an old man walking on a walker coming towards her, "I don't know."

"There must be a reason," He replied, finally reaching his destination next to the glowing image of the Virgin Mary, "Here, put these coins in and light me a candle."

Hesitant at first, Brenna took a deep breath and took the change from the man and lighted a candle like asked.

"For my beautiful wife Eileen." His head turned upwards slightly, as if he were remembering the good times with his deceased wife, "Now I must be going, I've taken my time to pray. You should pray; it may give you the strength you're obviously looking for." They were the final words Brennan heard from the man before he guided himself back down the podium and out of the church.

Stepping back, Brennan took one last look at the glowing candles and stepped back down into the walkway, on her way out of the church. That was until it all got the better of her and she sidestepped into one of the pews and sunk down onto the wooden bench.

She was an atheist, not a religious woman. So she didn't have an answer as to why she did what she did. What she did know, was that was going to let her thoughts run, she wouldn't pray, but she would let her thoughts run her mind for a while as she sat with her head bowed. To anyone else, she would look like she was praying and perhaps in her own way she was. But to her mind, she was just listening for strength, but that was for her mind to decide. She would allow it to go wherever it decided to go.

**o0o**

Brennan's head suddenly jerked up when she felt a presence next to her, but she didn't speak, nor did he. He just gave her a faint smile and bowed his head, praying for his own strength and forgiveness to the Holy God he believed in. Bowing her head again, Brennan started to chew her bottom lip, a sense of embarrassment and awkwardness washing through her system.

"I-I'm sorry Booth."

"I'm the one who reacted badly," Turning his head to face her, his voice was a hushed whisper. The features of her angelic hair dusting across her face made Booth's smile grow fonder, the softness from the sunset behind the stained glassed, bringing a precious look to her virtuous façade.

"I couldn't give you an honest answer; your reaction was understandable," Her voice was equally quiet, if not softer as she spoke, her head raising over Booth's shoulder to see the other people who were previously around, gone.

"I caused us both pain though."

"Did you mean what you said? Y-You only want a professional relationship with m-me?" Booth could see the earnestness in her eyes, the worry in her slightly knitted brow and hear the fret in her voice.

Shaking his head, Booth replied, "No. I did mean everything else though."

Reaching out, Brennan brushed the pad of her thumb over his cleanly shaven jaw line, "I know."

"Kiss me."

"We're in a church Booth."

"I don't care. Kiss me," He repeated.

Leaning in, Brennan placed a tender kiss to Booth's lips, her hand cupping the nape of his neck, as Booth's own hand became tangled in the supple curls rolling down Brennan's shoulders and back.

Pulling back, Booth let a smile caress his features, happiness spreading into his warm brown orbs at last, "I promise I won't bring the issue up again, if you promise me you'll think about it."

She pretended to think long and hard over the issue, before letting a school girl giggle pass through her lips, "Only if you seal it with another of those warming kisses."

Booth needn't be told twice as his lips collapsed against Brennan's, his mind becoming lost in the tranquility of her beauty as Brennan became lost in the strength she'd just regained from Booth's presence.


	9. Indiscretions

**This hasn't been Beta'ed as my Beta is an extremely busy women and I thought I should just get this posted. All mistakes are mine and I hope that won't deter you from reading, enjoying and reviewing. **

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Love Language.

**Indiscretions**

The flow and ease of their reunion was like the entangling shores winding around a coastline while the ocean rolled in and crashed against the beads of sand at dawn and dusk. Each and every time they broke apart, and then only for air, a smile would reside on their swollen lips while their eyes traced each others face. The ambiance in the moment had threatened to spill onto the very pews of Booth's beloved Catholic Church on more than one occasion. But the sincerity of it all held them in their place. Ending their exploration into one another's mouth cavities, Booth's smile could light up a small country and his forehead came to rest against Brennan's own, a heart chuckle rumbling from deep in his chest and in a very un-Brennan like characteristic she gave out a small school girl giggle.

"Where to from here?" Opening her previously closed eyes, Brennan voice brushed against Booth's lips tingling them; his hand snaking around from her nape to cup her cheek while his thumb brushed lightly over her zygomatic architecture.

"How about the Diner? I'm starving."

"Booth," The injection of a whine into her voice was also something else Booth hadn't thought Bones was capable of, but he had to admit, he did think it was pretty hot.

"Where would you like to go?"

"Somewhere quiet," She answered, nuzzling her head down into Booth's hand and letting her eyes flutter close, like a butterfly spreading its wings for the last time, Brennan let out a shallow, but content sigh.

She looked like a small child resting in his cupped palm, a beautiful angel peacefully resting her eyes. And Booth could help but let a smile spread across his lips at the pure sight of her before him. "I'm going to need your keys."

"I'm my pocket," She mumbled, reaching in and drawing out the keys, slipping them into his hand without a fuss or care in the world, not even an argument over it being _her _car.

"Come on," Pulling her upright, Booth stepped out of the pew and into the isle, bringing Brennan's hand along with him and forcing her to follow, "We'll get some coffee on the way."

"Coffee," She repeated, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and over her forehead. She could feel the onset of sleep developing even thought it was only just after sundown.

**o0o**

"Long black and a white hot chocolate with soy milk for Booth," Hearing his voice from the Barista, Booth stood from the small tucked away table in the corner of the nearest Gloria Jean's to his disclosed location in which he was taking Brennan.

In the short time in which it had taken them to walk from the Church to Brennan's car, Booth had hatched a plan. And now, with steaming take-away cups of coffee and hot chocolate in his palms, Booth's plan was all coming together, albeit slowly. The drive to his disclosed location was still over half an hour away and he was currently unsure on how long Brennan would be able to stay awake during that short thirty minute trip.

"Come on Bones," Nodding his head in the direction of the door, he watched her under an eagle eye as she drowsily climbed from the seat and pushed away from the table, slouching her way over in his direction he was idly passed her the cardboard cup of searing white hot chocolate when she came into reach. "It'll be hot," He warned as she bought the cup to her lips, taking the smallest of small sips.

"Yes, I agree," She reacted to the burning sensation which was occurring on her throat by a scrunch of the nose and her head turning away from the cup in haste.

Chuckling, Booth shook his head and cautiously took a sip from his long black, "We better get moving; it's a half hour drive to the next pit stop."

"Where are we going exactly?" Brennan asked through a yawn, as Booth guided her from the doors of Gloria Jeans and out to Brennan's waiting 2008 Toyota Prius.

"It's a surprise," Booth winked, watching as a scrawl came over the features of Brennan when she climbed into the passenger seat.

"You know I don't like surprises."

Bowing his head and letting an exhorted groan rumble through his lips, Booth placed his coffee in the provided cup holder and chucked the key in the ignition, listening to the roar of the engine as the car started. It wasn't until then, after pulling into the on flow of night traffic that Booth turned his head and came face to face with Brennan, "Just…trust me on this one, okay."

"Okay." Brennan nodded softly her fingers re-curling around the take-away cup and bought it close to her lips, her eyes never leaving his.

"Get some sleep; I'll wake you when we arrive," Booth watched as she nodded and placed the takeaway cup back in the cup holder, giving her a tight smile, Booth watched her eyes start to flutter close before turning his attention back to the rode; but not before grabbing her hand softly in his and squeezing it tight before bringing both their hands over to rest on his thigh.

Booth gave her enough time until she was in a relaxed state about to enter the Alpha stage of sleep, that he bought her hand to his lips and pressed his lips to her warm milky skin, lingering his lips well after the kiss had taken place before settling the hand back down on his thigh. Reaching over, as if it was an unconscious motion, Booth tucked a strand of hair behind Brennan's ears and whispered sweet nothing's into her ear.

"Sweet dreams Temperance."

**o0o**

Half an hour later Booth was listening to the temperate hum of the engine as the Brennan's car coerced its way down a dirt track, his mouth draining the last of his coffee. Brennan lay sprawled over the passenger seat fast asleep, the light breathing and innocent snores being her only noise. Booth relished in the silence. It gave him time to think, gain perspective. But sometimes, the silent which reigned was a little too much…even for himself. But still, he never complained. Because when he did, he was taunted by the memories of being alone, isolated from the outside world. He knew she suffered to; hers more susceptible than his. Subsequently one way or another they both suffered, albeit not together. Yet, it was all the same. They were both victimized and fearful to tell. As they didn't know what the other person's reaction would be; would they cut ties and run or would they adhere as one and allow the hidden tears to run freely? Booth didn't know. He didn't want to know. Would their logic falter? Would the objectivity of being buried alive, hinder their relationships. If so, why didn't it happen sooner? These were the questions Booth didn't know, the questions he didn't want answered.

These was the reason why Booth strongly disliked being alone for long periods of time. It gave him too much time to think.

Blinking away the tears which had seemingly formed in the corner of his orbs, Booth closed in on his 'secret' destination. Turning off the gravel road, he pulled up beside an old willow tree, draping over the place in which he'd come to love. He had bought Parker here a couple of times, it was quiet, but the scenery was beautiful, no matter what time of day. During the daylight hours, the sun would reflect off the water and the birds would sing as you lazed around on picnic blankets and camp chairs. During the night, the moon would shimmer against the blue water and cast a silver glow on everything around. This was truly Booth's favourite escape.

Pulling the key from the ignition, Booth unbuckled his belt and reached over to cup Brennan's face in his palm, his other hand gently rocking her thigh, "Bones." His voice was a hush whisper, so he wouldn't startle her when she did wake. "Bones, we're here."

It took another couple of minutes until she roused, coming into a complete, but hazy conscious state, "Where are we?" She mumbled, pulling herself into an upright position, feeling a twinge in her lower back which would need massaging when she exited the vehicle.

"A fresh water lagoon," He studied her eyes for a moment, confusion, wary and anxiety were all clear in the mix of emotions she was displaying on her features. After a couple of minutes, in which it would now turn into a stare if he kept looking into her mesmerizing orbs, Booth cleared his throat and pushed the driver's side door open, sliding from the vehicle before delicately closing the door. He watched over the hood as Brennan exited before he locked the car with the electronic device, shoving it into the back of his jeans pocket after the mechanism safely locked.

"W-where not going swimming are we? It would be a logical answer to say we were, but neither of us having any bathing suits. So I would come to the conclusion that we aren't going swimming, which would -" She was rambling, even she knew it, but Booth couldn't help but smile at the frustration which had briefly knitted over her brow line. Closing the gap between them, Booth bought his index finger under her jaw bringing her face into the shadow of his own, a crisp smile now forming on Brennan's lips at the reassurance Booth was giving.

"We're going swimming, so either strip yourself or I will," The seduction oozed from voice without being too over the top. It was just enough to make Brennan intrigued without crossing the line of their 'friends with benefits' agreement.

"You first."

"Alright," He shrugged, pulling his jacket from his shoulders and placing it neatly on the car bonnet, socks and shoes were next before he paused briefly, "Enjoying the view?" The tease was evident as Brennan glowered in response. After stuffing his socks into his shoes, Booth latched onto his belt buckle, pulling it through the hoops before it too joined his jacket; his shirt was next and Brennan couldn't help but stare when his chest came on display. She'd seen him naked before, but this time was truly studying his structure. Booth watched as Brennan winced upon seeing his wounds. A single gunshot scar just right of his heart. She would never forget the evening where he took a bullet for her; a bullet that was meant to end her life, so 'Fat Pam' could acquire in her place in Booth's life.

"The scars are part of my life, but don't look at them, look past them. Look at who I've become since obtaining them. Look past the scars and what do you see Temperance," The use of her first name bought a set of tears to well in Brennan's eyes. Her fingers, as if she had no control over them, reached out and touched his skin, the vulnerability edging closer in herself as she tried to fight it back.

"I-I see…I see a man who puts his son, his friends…me, before himself. I see a man how would rather see others happy than see how miserable they can be. I see someone who needs to be loved. I want to love that man, I do…" By now the tears were cascading down Brennan's cheek and landing in a puddle at the bottom of her chin. Her bottom lips quivered as she desperately tried to blink the tears away - annoyed within herself for surrendering to her own emotions - the emotions she tries so hard to hide.

Crossing the short distance between them, Booth wrapped his arms around her, comforting her in the way he only knew, "In time you will. But for now, just enjoy his company and forget about the scars and the home truths."

"I-I don't know what that means."

"I know," Pulling away, Booth wiped the remaining tears from Brennan's cheeks and watched her for a moment before tugging at his jeans, shrugging as they pooled to the grassy ground and he stepped from them, collecting them in one hand and setting them next to the rest of his attire, sitting folded on Brennan's Toyota Prius hood.

Always the gentleman, Booth gave Brennan the privacy she needed to strip, only to receive a comment about being a prude when Brennan tried to tug him around in a bout of giggles, but his eyes remained closed. Joining him in just her bra and panties, which would no doubt be ruined after this swimming expedition, Brennan ran a hand over Booth's deltoids, laughing when he gave a shiver before she dropped her hand in his.

"Tell me Booth, why were you confident to strip down to your boxers in front of me, except you couldn't watch me change from _my_ clothes," Brennan asks as they slowly walked, still hand in hand, down towards the lagoon.

Swallowing hard, Booth briefly went through a list of Catholic Saints as Brennan's breasts bounced against his biceps and triceps, "I just thought you'd want some privacy."

Brennan wouldn't help the smirk that had formed on her lips at the unease in which Booth had said in sentence. Even she knew he was lying and it gave her ego quite the confidence boost to know why he didn't want to 'watch' per se.

"Sustaining an erection in my presence should not deter you in any way, shape or form. Would it make you more comfortable knowing I was became aroused when you took your clothes off? I had vaginal lubrication Booth."

"Bones," His growl gave another little boost to Brennan's already high ego. It was then that Brennan knew she had hit the goat on the head…although she didn't know why you would harm such an innocent animal in it all.

"It's perfectly normal to become aroused when another is naked or clo-"

"Enough!" He barked turning towards Brennan as they became just meters from the lagoon, "I get aroused even when you are fully clothed…Can we just drop it and go for a swim?"

Satisfied, Brennan nodded and closed the gap between them, ebbing the vex which had formed Booth's pouted lips in a simple, yet endearing kiss of passion.

"Just so you know, I also get aroused when you're fully clothes," Brennan chortled over her shoulder just before she dived into the waters of the lagoon her figure becoming a shadow from under. All Booth could do was shake his head and follow her instincts, diving into the sapphire shaded water in aim of her darkened silhouette.


	10. Justified

_A/N: Just a quite little author's note before you go ahead and read the next installment. My beautiful Beta, Naomi, has only beta'ed the first half of this chapter. I have gone through the other half and edited parts, but if there are still some mistakes, they are my own and I do apologise in advance. _

_I very much like this chapter, it shows a new dynamic to Brennan and Booth and without saying too much, I will say there's vulnerability on Brennan's behalf that she grips hold off and takes it for a ride in which, hopefully you will all enjoy. _

_So please, you now may read ahead and hopefully enjoy as much as I enjoyed writing. _

**o0o**

**Justified**

They swam, they laughed and they enjoyed each others company until the sun started to rise over their halo of trees and the first signs of life came about in their secluded location. The joie de vivre of the sun shone on the dewed blades of green grass and reflected onto the surface of the lagoon; birds chirped away happily as they nestled in the trees or flew overhead, while a rare sighting of a fawn in the distance bought a whole new dimension to the early spring morning. In the lagoon itself lay Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth, resting upon the edge and squinting against the bright reflection which bound in their eyes.

"This has been a truly amazing experience Booth," Brennan commented, bringing her wrinkled hand from the water to block the sun before casting her face over to watch Booth smile weakly against the soft ripples there body's were creating.

"I'm glad you liked it Bones," Stopping his eyes which had been previously tracing water droplets on the contours of breasts, as they rose and fell with each breath she took, Booth lifted his orbs to come face to face with hers, a content smile shining brightly behind the crystal blues.

"Last night, something changed between us didn't it?"

Booth nodded, replying in the only way which would avoid his voice cracking against the words he would speak if he strung together a coherent sentence. In the end he settled with a simple smile and one worded answer, "Yes."

She nodded in return and let a long breath vibrate through her lips, "I don't know what it means."

"Neither do I, Bones. But we can't just keep the _'friends with benefits'_, it's not working for us. There's more between us then making each other cum." He watched her carefully as she argued within herself at his response and how to answer his statement. She must have came up with an answer, because the next thing he knew, she was pressed against him, her head rolling back on the ball and socket joint of his shoulder, an absentmindedly sigh passing through her lips.

"You've told me on numerous occasions that love isn't brain chemistry. Love is the affection, whether it's tender or passionate, that you have towards another person. You allege that love is more than just sex. That love is when you miss the other person when they're gone and when they're around you become complete. I…I feel those things towards you Booth. You're my partner and my best friend; and if love is what you say it is, then I must come to the conclusion that…that I love you as well."

Shock.

Surprise.

Clarity.

Happiness.

Guilt.

But ultimately, love.

These were the emotions that encased Seeley Booth in the short time that it had taken him to fully understand what Brennan was saying. She loved him. Maybe not on the level in which he loved her. But she genuinely loved him.

Letting a small smile that was full of affection and warmth caress his lips, Booth chuffed and squeezed an arm around Brennan's shoulder. "Thanks."

"For what? Saying I love you?" Brennan intrigued, bringing her face around to peer over her shoulder and into Booth's puppy-like brown eyes.

"No, not that; well, yes that. But for letting yourself feel and experience what love is."

"You're the only person I feel comfortable in being myself around. I feel the need to push myself to be liked by others, but you…you take me for who I am. You've helped me through my family dramas with my father and brother, you've sacrificed your life for me, you don't mind correcting my social faux pas and…you don't take me at face value. I've let you peel back the layers to find out who I truly am. I thank you for that." Tears welled in Brennan's eyes, as Booth slowly bent his head down, capturing his lips in hers and let a flotilla of steamboats pass in the intimate moment.

Breaking apart Brennan giggled, "I hope you know my undergarments are now ruined from our night of swimming." Looking sheepishly down at her red ensemble of lace panties and matching bra, Booth laughed innocently when he felt a pink hue rise on his cheeks.

"I'll buy you a new pair." He blurted.

"And here I was thinking you were a prude."

"Not always. Although I will concede that I would prefer to keep my private life private, which also consists of my sex life and anything sexually related."

"I accept that as a valid explanation," Her squint talk would be the end of him one day. She could talk squint all she liked; Booth would never get sick of hearing her voice. There would only be one situation where Booth wouldn't want Brennan talking squint. He wouldn't want his squint-ess talking her colourful language while he bedded her. Squint and Sex do not go together, nor will they ever fit together like a puzzle missing its final piece.

They fell into a silence. Each became silent for their own reasons, but together, as the water gently lapped around them and the sun continued to rise overhead, they let gentle smiles gracefully caress their lips.

**o0o**

Brennan and Booth were leaned against the side of the lagoon in peace and quiet for just under an hour when Booth's stomach let out a hungry rumble and bought sequences of laughter and splashing that lasted until Brennan's own stomach let out a warning that she too needed food to replenish her energy and keep her stomach satisfied.

Another half hour had passed by the time they'd finished in the lagoon and they'd dragged their wet selves up the short hill and towards Brennan's car. Having wrapped blankets around their bodies, which were tucked neatly in the car boot, Brennan started her engine at the insistence since it was her car, her rules. Her first rule being - she drove. Booth didn't grumble and he didn't argue, he simply let Brennan drive them back in the direction of DC and towards his apartment.

**o0o**

They were to shower and change before meeting again at Royal for breakfast. Booth of course arrived first after having a quick shower and shave, followed by Brennan who entered the diner only minutes after her partner had taken his seat at their usual table by the window.

"I preferred you in the red lace substitute swimsuit," Booth teased over the menu as Brennan took a seat opposite him. She too only took a short shower, but it gave her enough time to wash her hair, scrub her face and glide a razor over her legs and under her arms. In turn, she opted to let her hair dry naturally if she wanted to make it to the diner before 10:30AM, when the cooking staff turned off the burners before the lunch hour started. So, her usual auburn locks were a dark chestnut strung together in a loose bun at the back of her head. Her red laced panties and bra were replaced with a similar blue set (not that Booth would know) and a casual blue blouse and a pair of dark denim washed jeans were placed over the top. And not to forget the unmistakable chunky wooden necklace draped around her neck.

"I will admit, that I miss seeing your pectorals on display," She commented back with a smirk. However, she would confess -even if it were only to herself- that she rather enjoyed the view of Booth's faded Metallica shirt in which was layered under his green cargo jacket.

"What can I get the two of you?" Heidi, Brennan and Booth's usual waitress asked. Although she knew the answer towards their breakfast preferences, she still had to ask out of courtesy and respect.

"I'll have the oatmeal with brown sugar and full cream milk and a strong black with two sugars" Definitely his usual. Scribbling just the name of _Booth_ down on her notepad, Heidi knew instantly that the other girls behind the counter would know exactly what was needed to be made.

"I'll have the fruit salad and a glass of cranberry juice," Again, all Heidi needed to write down on her notepad was the same word she always wrote – _Brennan. _

Nodding, Heidi left the pair to give the orders to the girls behind the counter. They were a fascinating pair and all the staff at the Diner loved to see their favourite two people enter each and every day, whatever time that would be.

"So Bones," Booth started, leaning heavily on the table and facing her directly eye-to-eye, "You know how it's your birthday next month…"

"Yes…" She longed out her single worded answer in hope that Booth would continued. In which he did.

"Well I was in the shower before and this idea came to me. I was thinking, rather hoping that you'd embark on a little pre-birthday surprise."

Sighing, she leaned forward on the table until their noses became within inches of each other, "Drip."

A puzzled look came across Booth's features, until a small light bulb went off in the back of his head, "Spill Bones. As in '_spill_ the beans.'" Shaking his head and letting a smile caress his lips, Booth chuckled and continue, "Anyway, I was wondering if you'd participate in a month long treasure hunt in which on your birthday it will end and you'd receive your present from me."

"Why?"

"Because it'll be fun," He groaned, resisting the urge to kiss the confused look sown into Brennan's brow, "And I want to take things slow between us." Sighing, he saw a little of the stitching from her woven confused brow fray, "If you participate in this fully, I will know you're ready to give us a go. I also promise at the end of the treasure hunt on your birthday I'll give you what you wanted to start off with – sex." He kept the last word of his sentence as quiet as possible as Heidi came back and sat their meals in front of them, which caused Booth to lean back to allow room on the table.

"Okay." She nodded stabbing a piece of honeydew with her fork, "When do I start this…treasure hunt per se?"

"Next Saturday. It gives me just under a week to get everything organized. But believe me, I have some great ideas." He said enthusiastically around a mouthful of oatmeal, "Oh, I have two rules for the treasure hunt."

"O-Okay," She replied warily, dropping her spoon into the bowlful of fruit salad.

"**One:** The squint squad may be involved if you need their assistance and you _will_ need their assistance, but you have to go and receive the clues by yourself, they can only be involved in finding where the next one may be located. And **two:** You must keep all the little keep-sakes that you will receive with each clue; they're little sentiment pieces; a unity of sorts."

She carefully filed the rules away in her mind, before picking her cranberry juice up, pausing just before her lips to speak, "I can abide by those set boundaries; although they weren't actually rules, Booth."

Chuckling, he took a sip of his steaming coffee and winked playfully towards Brennan as they fell into their own free flowing conversation. All the while they enjoyed the developments in their relationship and the company each other provided and gave the Diner an entertaining vibe in which everyone could enjoy.


	11. Keen

**A/N:** Reviews were a little down last chapter, but I am not one to complain, so I will leave it all at that. This chapter was edited by yours truly, so any mistakes that are still in the chapter are of that of my own. Please don't hesitate to correct them in your reviews, as I love all kinds of feedback.

I'm currently writing O, and its taking a surprising twist that I wasn't intending on taking, but I don't force my mind in a certain direction, I let it take its own yellow brick road. Oh god, I just used a Wizard of Oz reference and I for one, dislike the movie.

This is my last week at school for term 3, I finish on Thursday, but I have to go into school on Friday for a practice exam. So you'll be experiencing an influx of updates over my two week holidays, if I'm not helping my grandparents move from Darwin to Victoria.

Anyway, as always, I hope you enjoy the chapter and make it known through whatever venue to decide to take.

* * *

**Keen**

The following Saturday came in a short six day window, in which Brennan had anticipated during the week. She'd managed to keep her excitement under control and for it not to deter from her work in any way, shape or form… but only just. Her greatest challenge came when a decomposed body was found in the early hours of Wednesday morning after being fished out from the Potomac River. However, her excellent skills to compartmentalize won over and by Friday evening, Booth was making an arrest.

Therefore, Friday night Brennan was able to relax. She met with Booth for post-case drinks at Founding Fathers, but by 10:00PM they parted ways. Brennan went home, ran a bath and soaked in the tub until the water became cold and it was only then that she poured herself a glass of red wine, grabbed her printed manuscript and curled up in bed to give it the final edits before having to send the copy to her publisher by the Monday 5:00PM deadline.

She woke on Saturday morning with a stream of sunlight filtering through the drawn curtains and a slow ache in the muscles of her body from having fallen asleep in a gauche position. When she finally climbed from bed and set out her yoga mat in front of the window, Brennan felt refreshed and ready for the day ahead. Although her morning routine was no different to any other morning, Brennan came in it with high spirit as she showered and ate breakfast. She was to meet Booth at 8:30AM at the diner for coffee and the handover of the first clue, and for once in her life, on her own terms, Brennan felt satisfied in what she was about to embark on. The month-long treasure hunt was something that she needed to stray away from work, and already, it was making her feel energized. It gave her the self-confidence in which she had been lacking.

**o0o**

The brass bell above the door of the Royal Diner chimed when Brennan pushed the glass doors open and gave the establishment the once over. Spotting Booth sipping at a coffee and staring out the window at their usual table; puckering her lips into a tight, but free smile and ushered herself over, taking a seat quickly before Booth even had time to notice her presence. When he finally became aware of her sitting across from him ordering a coffee, Booth turned his head with a smile, a glint of happiness sparkling in his chocolate brown orbs. They were full of warmth and admiration, something that Brennan had become accustomed to seeing when around him. She had also noticed that look was for her and her only. Never had she seen the smile brimming in his eyes when around other woman. Not Tessa, not Cam, not Rebecca and not Catherine. That in itself, had Brennan's chest tightening.

"Morning," He simply greeted, taking a long drag from the heated liquid which was now lukewarm.

"Morning," She returned the greeting; a slightly amused look had embraced her features and made Booth raised an eyebrow at her mischievous appearance.

"Why the amused face?" He inquired, placing his coffee on the table in an involuntary motion, his eyes never leaving hers.

"No reason. It's just…" She paused, smiling and thanking the waitress as she placed her cup of steaming brew on the table, "I'm looking forward to today."

"I'm sure you are," He winked cheekily, slipping an envelope onto the table and sliding it in front of Brennan who looked up to him with an intrigued expression. "You can't open it until I leave."

"What's in there?" She asked holding the envelope up into the light to try and see through the crisp white sachet. Seeing nothing but paper, or what she presumed was paper, she exhaled deeply and turned her attention back to Booth, who had his usual charming smile gracing his lips.

"You'll find out in due time. But for now…" He paused, reaching into his jeans pocket to pull out his leather wallet, "I have to go pick up Parker. Rebecca has to head into work; she's got this court case or something Monday morning and she needs all weekend to prepare."

Brennan watched as Booth slapped a couple of notes on the table and stood, giving her a tight smile before closing in on her ear and whispering her 'good luck'. She continued to watch him over her shoulder until he stepped through the Diner doors and out into the outside streets of Washington DC. Through the glass window she watched as he walked towards his black FBI issued Toyota Sequoia and jumped in, turning the ignition on before reversing into the streets. It wasn't until his car had become lost in the traffic that Brennan forced her eyes away from the window and back down onto the envelope resting on the table.

Biting her bottom lip, Brennan ordered croissant with ham and cheese and picked up the envelope, running her nimble finger pads over the seal. As her meal arrived, Brennan drew a breath and flicked her nail under the seal to open the envelope. There were only three pieces of paper neatly folded inside; the first, a small piece of paper with the lyrics of a song. She didn't know the song and she made a mental note to enlist Angela in helping to decipher what that song is and what it means. The second piece of paper was a note, and when she saw Booth's familiar handwriting a small smile crept onto her lips. The third was the clue. Setting all three pieces of paper open on the table, Brennan took a sip of her coffee before picking up Booth's letter.

_Bones,_

_I've written this letter twice already and they've both ended up in the trash. This is the end product of the two that didn't go so well. Don't dissect it; don't over analyze it, just read it – please._

_Now where to start. You are the most amazing women, science genius I've ever come across. You're intelligent and beautiful, gifted and elegant. You're not one for love letters, but just hear me out. You took a chance on us last weekend at the lagoon and I want us to continue that chance because I love you. I love you because you're hard on the outside and soft on the inside. I love you because you're awkward in social situation and graceful at work. I love you because of your brain, your beautiful blue eyes and the waves in your hair. You're my best friend Temperance Brennan, and I love you for that._

_So now I've got why I love you off my chest and I haven't made you run. The following is about your birthday surprise. One word of advice, follow the clues to a tee. Now, I know you're saying 'I don't know what that means', and in simple terms it means follow them carefully and make sure you're correct on everything. Don't jump to the conclusion without all the evidence being in._

_That's all I got Bones, just that piece of advice. Have fun, keep everything your given and I'll see you on your birthday._

_Yours truly,_

_Booth._

Setting the letter back down on the table, Brennan let the words stew and sink in. And when they had, she couldn't help but laugh at Booth's words of wisdom. He loved her; she could see it in the way he had written about it. The emotions he put into his word choice. And that's when she realised, she loved him too. All her evidence was in for a logical conclusion, with that conclusion being she wanted him to be with him for the next 30 or 40 or 50 years.

Taking a sip from her coffee, Brennan picked up the song lyrics and studied them carefully, her brow knitting in confusion.

"_A difficult woman, swings between shame and pride. A difficult woman; has strong, strong stuff deep inside. And getting to her is no easy affair; it's like working in a mine. You'd better prepare to pay the price, if it's treasure you want to find. A difficult woman needs a special kind of friend."_

Reading over the lyrics, once, twice and a third time, Brennan sighed. Her brow continuing to knit in a sense of confusion as her eyes began to analyze the piece of paper being kept between her thumb and index finger of her right distal phalanges. What had Booth meant by giving her these lyrics? Was she really like a working in a mine? A difficult person to crack open but when you do, there's something to enjoy and love inside? Brennan didn't know and she would definitely have to get Angela to help her.

Placing the lyrics back on the on the Diner table, Brennan picked up the folded piece of paper which held her first clue. Her fingers hovering over the slit where she could push it open. Nerves suddenly overcoming her fears as her tongue clicked against the roof of her palate.

"Now or never," She whispered to herself and flicked the piece of folded paper open.

_38.895197°N 77.024994°W_

_Locker 9._

A set of coordinates. Brennan could work with them; she'd get Hodgins' to do a search while Angela told her what the lyrics meant. Her hopes had been raised for a whole of twenty-three seconds before she realised Angela and Jack were out of town for the weekend on a 'romantic' post-wedding weekend away, no doubt spending most of the time naked and pleasantly sore.

_Damn Booth_.

He had planned for this to happen, so now she would have to wait until Monday morning to get anywhere.

Letting out a frustrated growl, Brennan drained the last of her coffee, slapped a $20 bill on the table, picked up Booth's change, knowing her amount was ample and gathered the pieces of paper and envelope and shoved them into her purse, annoyed at the whole situation.

**o0o**

The persistent knock to her door finally had caught Brennan's attention as she lay on the couch, studying everything she had received from Booth intently. Pulling herself up from the couch she muttered a 'coming' to no one in particular and made her way through to the front door.

"Finally Bones, I thought my arm was gonna drop off," Came Parker's voice as she smiled towards the blonde headed boy once she had opened the door, his father nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Booth?" She asked as Parker pushed past her and into her apartment.

"He told me to come get you; we're using your pool. Dad wants you to join us for a swim," The excitement in the nine year olds voice was evident and even though she would have preferred to scrutinize over the clues towards her treasure hunt, she didn't want to disappoint the young Booth, especially when the older Booth would no doubt come up and drag her down if he had to.

"Okay," She sighed in defeat, "Let me go get changed. There is a bottle of water in the fridge. Could you retrieve it for me Parker," She asked throwing the statement over her shoulder as she started to make her way towards her bedroom.

"Sure," He called, watching as Brennan ducked into her bedroom and closed the door before making his way through her apartment and towards her refrigerator.

**o0o**

15 minutes later, Brennan and Parker were walking hand in hand down towards her apartment complex swimming pool. Usually she didn't venture down to the pool unless she was going to swim laps, but the thought of going swimming and having some fun with Booth and his young son, bought a pleasurable warmth Brennan's heart. Instead of wearing her usual one-piece, from when she swan laps, she was wearing a simple federal blue bikini that bought out her eyes in a shade of deep desire and highlighted the copper waves in her auburn hair.

Letting Parker push the double glass door open, Brennan instantaneously spotted Booth lounging on one of the deck chairs, a chair to each side of him with a towel thrown over the back of one, his gaze being directed at the door and ultimately them.

"Bones, Parker!" Booth called from his spot on the chairs, waving them over as they started to move in his direction.

In the midst of walking over to Booth, Brennan failed to notice Parker had drifted away from her until a large splash of water sent shivers up her side as the water splashed from the pool from the explosive cannonball Parker had used to enter the water. The deep growl from Booth sent Brennan to look at the parent with a raised eyebrow, but as she reached him, all was forgotten.

"Hi," Her voice was quiet, shy even, when she went to place her towel across the back of the spare deck chair, her water bottle being placed on the concrete ground.

"Hi," He returned her greeting; his voice equally as quiet.

"You knew I wouldn't be able to work out the clue so you thought you could repay me by inviting me for a swim." Sinking into the wooden slates, Brennan got straight to the point; but not before her eyes roamed Booth's body. His broad clavicle was appealing to the eye before it narrowed into his hips and the toned muscles of his abdominals became the shape of a V which led towards the start of his board shorts. Brennan knew Booth was one for audacious belt buckles, ties and socks, so it came as no real surprise that he was wearing orange, yellow and black board shorts in an unusual pattern of blocked colour.

"Maybe," He smirked, "Maybe not."

"Whatever the answer, I forgive you." She crisply smiled, her eyes meeting his as Booth nodded.

They fell into a companionable silence as each looked out towards Parker who had joined a small family on the other side of the pool, two young boys around his age from a couple apartments down from Brennan. She didn't know the details of the family and she didn't want to ask, but she knew the children came from a broken relationship, two boys and a single mother.

"I liked the letter," She said quietly, her eyes never leaving the water as she spoke. "It was very heartfelt and I can only imagine that after this month is over, I will be able to experience the real reasons as to why you love me."

"When I was writing the letter all I could think about was waking up in the morning next to you and leaving small love notes around the apartment in places I knew you would find; the bathroom mirror, your underwear drawer, inside the fridge on your lunch," He admitted, his eyes being drawn to her face.

"You're ultimately giving me a month to find my real feelings towards you. I already know what those feelings are. From the letter and from what you've just told me, it's made me realise…" She paused, pulling her eyes up from the water and onto Booth, "It's made me realise, that you're more than a friend and partner to me. You're the only person that can see what's inside of me, in a metaphorical sense of course."

Ever the logical, Dr. Brennan.

Chuckling, Booth's voice rasped as he reached out a hand to take hold of Brennan's, "This is my way of taking thing slow."

She stewed the words for a long while, before letting a beaming smile spread across her facial contusions, "A relatively skewed way of 'taking things slow' as you say we're doing, but I appreciate the sentiment."

"Eh." Booth shrugged, swinging his legs over the deck chair and pulling himself into a standing position, his hand still entwined with Brennan's, "Care to swim?"

"I would imagine Parker does not know about our little 'arrangement?" She asked, letting Booth pull her from her sitting position.

"No. So we'll need to be discreet around him," He hushed in a whisper as they neared the steps of the shallow end of the pool.

"_Finally_," Came Parker's voice from the other side in an exaggerated breath, a splash of water overcoming Brennan and Booth as a boyish laughter filled the swimming pool only to be joined with the adult own mirth.


	12. Lust

**A/N: Yes, I know a shorter chapter. However my reasoning behind this isn't school related (I'm now officially on school holidays, or as the teachers like to call it "Study Break") or real life related. I just found where I've finished this as a good ending and I thought if I tried to continue it, than it may have sounded elongated and too mashed together. I'm really happy about this chapter and I think it's one of the better chapters of this fic. If I love, you should too right? **

**People say that reviews make them write faster, but that can't possibly be the case, can it? Well I think not, but reviews **_are_** inspiration because then I know, you like what I've written.**

**Oh just a little side note, I have to credit **Kathy Reichs** for this, one of her scenes in **Death Du Jour **is what inspired some of this chapter. I was struggling to write this chapter and I had written it about three times already and I hit this particular scene in her book and it motivated me somewhat. It's a similar scene – so please don't kill me – but I've put my own uniqueness to it. **

**Another side note, (yes I know this is getting longer than my actual chapter), I'm looking for a new Beta writer. My Beta has a hectic RL and I need someone to fill her void. So if you think you're someone who can be contacted regularly, someone I can spin my ideas off and put up with my jargon, please send me a little PM or add it into your review. I am in the desperate stage, because I know my chapters will be better when someone else is looking over them.

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**

**Lust**

Having enjoyed Booth and Parker's company for the rest of Saturday morning and half of the afternoon, Brennan had become exhausted by the time dinner rolled around and was grateful when Booth asked her over to join in their night time festivities of pizza and a DVD.

After buttered popcorn and a stack of Disney movies were watched, Booth carefully lifted his sleeping son from the floor and into his bed where he was tucked beneath the covered, his hair swept from his face and a soft delicate kiss planted on his forehead.

Watching from the doorway, Brennan was amazed at how much ease and flow came from Booth's nightly ritual of his sleeping child and how much it bought back the memories of when she was young. The memories of her mother tucking her under the sheets and kissing her goodnight, singing a lullaby softly as she drifted off into the sweet dreams, dreams which carried in a child's mind. It cease to amaze her how to something so simple, could carry on through generations.

"He looks innocent." She commented as Booth stepped away from Parker's bed, his arms crossing over his chest, then to falling by his hips.

"When he was younger I would sit in here and watch him sleep. He's my life, Bones, I don't know what I would do without him." Taking another step back from the bed, Booth turned his head to face her, a softened smile caressing his lips. "Stay the night."

"I-I shouldn't Booth, I can't." Heart versus the brain. They were the two strings pulling to make her decision. Does she follow her heart and stay? Or follow the logic and leave? She didn't have the answer and it wasn't something she'd been affiliated with in the past. She _always _had an answer to any question asked.

"I didn't mean like _that_." He said softly, emphasizing his last word as they slowly padded back out into the living room, "The couch, it uh, folds out. It'll only take a couple minutes to set up and I would feel more comfortable if you stayed the night here and not drove…" Pausing he glanced to the wall clock on the far tea green wall, "It's nearly 1:30AM."

Sighing, she blew a tendril of hair away from her face. "I can't Booth; I have to go home. I need to shower and go to bed on my own accord."

Dropping his head, Booth sighed in defeat, "Okay."

He gave her a couple minutes to gather her purse and slip into her jacket before he walked her to the door. He didn't want to let her go. He would have much preferred her to stay. But he _knew_ her. He couldn't press the issue and he wouldn't press the issue. As she, is her own individual.

"I'll see you Monday?" He asked, leaning himself against the frame of the door, arms hanging by his side.

"Yes," She nodded reaching out to caress her fingertips over the stubble along his maxilla.

Booth melted into Brennan's touch as she stretched her head upwards, his head leaning downwards. Their lips ghosted over one another as Booth ran his fingers along her jaw line and backwards through her hair, just as his arms circled her shoulders and pulled her close. She could feel the heat in his body and the smell of cologne on his skin. Collapsing against his chest, Brennan closed her eyes and kissed back.

The kiss was long.

The kiss was tender.

And Brennan couldn't help but smile into Booth's lips as she wound her arms around his neck and he slid his open-palm under her thin cotton shirt, his calloused thumb beginning to caress the milky skin of her stomach. The stroke of his thumb was cobweb light and sent shivers racing the length of Brennan's back. Groaning against his soft touch, she arched against his chest and kissed him harder, opening and closing her mouth to the rhythm of his breathing.

Dropping his hands from her waist, Booth circled them from Brennan's stomach to cup her breast in a feather-like touch. She felt the instant shot of arousal course through her body as her nipples hardened under the silk of her bra. The deep thrust of his tongue had her mouth and lips closing around it as they stumbled back into Booth's apartment, the door closing behind them and becoming their support. Brennan moaned into Booth's mouth as his hand finally cupped her right breast, and squeezed the exposed, hardened nipples between his thumb and index finger, compressing and releasing in time with the thrusts of their tongue as they each battled for dominance.

She ran her hands from his neck down his biceps and triceps, abdominals before coming to rest on his lower back, embracing the skin that had come exposed from a ridden shirt, his erection grinding into her pelvis. In turn, Booth's hand wound down from breasts and dipped into the waistband of her jeans, where a current of ecstasy ran through her lower half; the arousal evident with another hearty moan.

"Stop." Pulling herself away from the fierce lip lock, Brennan's eyes pricked with tears, her closed fist coming in contact with Booth's chest, like it had done on the steps of the Hoover all those months ago. "We can't do this."

"Why not?"

"Parker's sleeping in the other room." She explaining, crumbling in his warm touch.

"Will you stay now?"

"Yes. But no sex." She warned, fleeting past him. Booth's eyes trailed her ass as it sashayed its way through his apartment.

"Wait! Why not? Are you loud?" He chuckled, bringing his walk into a quick paced shimmy as he skidded across the apartment as a balled laughter came from Brennan. Tonight was going to be a night that they would both remember for years to come.

**o0o**

She left the next morning before Booth, Parker or the sun had risen over the horizon of Washington D.C. Brewing a cup of Booth's favourite coffee, she drank the deep brown liquid while she wrote a quick note, explaining her morning disappearance. Rinsing the cup and leaving it on the sink, she gathered her jacket and purse from the lounge and slipped out the door. She only hoped she didn't wake the two men she'd come to love, in the process.

Booth woke at around 8AM to find Brennan missing from her side of the bed. Slightly confused, he padded his way through the apartment and that's when he found the note next to the coffee pot, a mug already in its place next to the machine with two sugars and a spoon already in the cup. Flicking the switch, Booth ran and hand over his eyes and picked up the note, his eyes skimming over the all too familiar cursive.

_Booth, _

_I'm sorry to leave you so early, but like I said last night, I need to do things on my own accord. I found your favourite coffee blend – French Roast. I've discovered after having a cup of your 'perfect blend' as you describe it, it is the darkest blend in the world (according to my googling). The French roast has caramelized sugars, a hint of chocolate and a deeply smoked flavour that attests to the heat of the roast. The intense flavour was enriching to taste, but I prefer to taste it from your lips instead of indulging in my own cup. I myself prefer the blend of 100% Jamaican Blue Mountain; it is quite a subtle flavour from being lightly roasted. _

_Anyway, enough about our coffee preferences. I wish you and Parker the best for your Sunday together. I will be at the Jeffersonian for the majority of the day and I will eat, I promise you that. _

_Yours sincerely,_

_Bones. _

Smiling, Booth poured himself the coffee and added a splash of milk as he eyed the note on the countertop. Even though she was gone, the sweet words on the piece of paper made up for her left presence. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was an innocence in her wording. A purity in her argument over the coffee. The note made Booth think of waking up next to her every morning, with the sleep husked into her throat, as they shared a morning coffee and an idle conversation about their day ahead. That in itself bought hope and warmth to Booth. And it was something he wasn't going to let go of. Not in a long time.


	13. Memories

**A/N: I just lost my whole massive authors note, because my laptop was being stupid, so now I'm going to sit here and write it all again. Feel free to skip, but I would love if you read.**

**I would like to thank my beautiful beta, **Mali Bear's Buddy, **for her continuous help in editing and getting all my work up to scratch. I would highly recommend checking out her work, if you haven't already, what rock have you been living under? I've had a sneak preview of an upcoming storyline in one of her fanfictions and its going to rock the boat. I cannot wait to read it. **

**I never ceases to amaze me how the Australian-American formatting of language is so different even though both countries are speaking English. We, as Australians, use 'S' in replacement for the 'Z' you American's so fondly use in words. I prefer, not to be biased at all, prefer the 'S'. It seems less...tacky. I suppose.**

**Reviews have been down lately, but I will keep in high spirits. I'm currently writing the chapter for 'Q' and I've hit a brick wall, a case of writers block, but I'm slowly pushing through it one sentence at a time. Also, I'm sure you'll all be pleased with the chapter for 'N', its getting back to the roots of the "M" rating. How does a little morning romp sound? **

**Finally, and yes finally, I would like to remind you all that when you leave your kinds words if you could leave out any spoilers/thoughts on the season 6 premiere. Australia is yet to view the premiere and I would like to keep as spoiler free as possible. Tomorrow night (being Sunday) Australia will view the season 3 finale, and hopefully the week after, being October 3, we will receive the premiere for season 6 and then I'll be able to share my own thoughts and feelings towards it all. **

**With my very long author's note now finished, I bring you, chapter 13...

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**Memories**

Angela Montenegro-Hodgins and her husband, Jack Hodgins had arrived home late Sunday evening to find a rather distressed message on their answering machine from their beloved friend, asking to see them first thing Monday morning in Angela's office. This of course raised suspicion with the pair; her choice of words in the twenty second monotone automatically had Hodgins thinking of a conspiracy.

It then came as no surprise when the happily married couple entered the lab, engrossed in each other, shortly after 8:30AM on Monday that they found Brennan already pacing the artist's office, coffee in hand.

"Finally." She grunted, throwing the empty cardboard cup into the trash, her eyes coming to rest on Angela.

"What was so urgent, sweetie?" Asked the artist, untangling herself from Hodgins and laying her bag on the desk in the far corner. Her eyes never left Brennan's as a perfectly sculptured eyebrow raised on her forehead.

"I need you to tell me what these lyrics mean." A rigid crease had formed over her brow line marring her elegant features as she shoved the piece of paper in front of Angela, before turning to the entomologist. "And I need you, Hodgins, to tell me where these coordinates are located."

"Angie, your screen?" Hodgins curtly asked, his thumb hanging over his shoulder to point to the large 70 inch monitor.

"Go for it Jack." She smiled. Letting out a small breath of air, Angela traced her eyes over the cursive writing of lyrics held on the piece of lined paper before her.

Angela studied them for quite some time as Brennan glanced over to her then over to Hodgins who was closing in on a search of the coordinates he was given.

"Got it!" They both said in unison.

Angela was the first to speak after their heroics came through. "Mind explaining all this to us now, Bren?"

"A couple of months ago, Booth and I started a casual relationship, _friends with benefits_, and a couple weekends ago we got in an argument over it. To make an elongated story concise, we went swimming in this beautiful lagoon later in the weekend once we had simmered down. Something changed between us, Angela. Although impossible, it felt as if our cosmic balance had shifted. That's when Booth thought of the idea to send me on a month-long treasure hunt that will end on my birthday. He has promised me intercourse as my birthday present."

The bluntness in her last sentence, had a blush rising on Angela's cheeks as she laughed at her friend's antics.

"Okay sweetie." Angela playfully rolled her eyes as she caught Brennan's eyes darkening at the thought of Booth. "The lyrics are from Paul Kelly's song _Difficult Woman._ He originally penned this for Renee Geyer because she spoke her mind, much like you and that can lead to someone being ultimately a difficult woman." Angela paused slightly to make sure Brennan was following, she was, so she continued. "The vibe I'm getting off this particular verse if that Booth used to see you as this woman. You've gone from being this person that the lyrics describe to someone he loves and I personally think that through the course of the clues, if you receive more lyrics they'll show your evolution."

Brennan stewed the words for a couple of minutes before her head tilted to the side and she nodded slightly, "That's understandable."

"Alright, Dr. B, I've determined the location from the coordinates Booth gave you and, boy; was he clever about it too!" Hodgins grinned like a fool.

"Get on it with Jack." Angela insisted.

"Okay…" Pausing, most likely for a dramatic effect, Hodgins exhaled. "The Hoover Building is at these coordinates. But, I have no idea where locker 9 is."

Tilting her head back up straight, Brennan smiled. "Booth uses the FBI gym quite regularly; it has to be there."

"Go." Angela urged. "Go, sweetie."

Brennan hesitated her a moment, her eyes glancing from Angela to Hodgins and back to Angela again, as she curled her lip between teeth. Drawing in a deep breath, she let it go within a matter of seconds and repeated the process for a second time. Somehow, her decision was made for her as her feet started to carry her out of Angela's office and quickened into a fast paced run, a jolt of energy filling her internally. A stream of hot, unforeseen tears started to run lines of mascara down her face, but still, she ran.

**o0o**

Caught in between crying and laughing, Brennan made her way through the heavy traffic of Washington DC and to the Hoover in just less than 15 minutes. As she hastily parked in the visitor's parking, she hardly gave herself enough time to stop and pull the keys from the ignition before she was out of the car. She quickly made her way through the underground parking, her mind set for the gym that was also on the same level.

Her mind was buzzing, with not only anticipation but fear of the unknown.

Suddenly though, her sight went black and a crippling shot of pain ran through her body. She lay there disorientated for what seemed like hours, when in reality is was only around three and a half minutes. Slowly, she regained her composure, her breathing regulating, and the intense throb of pain easing to a tedious ache around her patella and talocrural joint. Opening her eyes slowly, she took a deep breath in and released it before wiping away a few brazen tears that had fallen. Standing, she felt her right ankle give way under herself and that's when she realised the heel on her black Tony Bianco boots was broken.

"_Son of a bitch_." Never one to curse, Brennan couldn't help the frustration that filtered through her lips as she inspected the broken heel. Hobbling towards the entrance of the FBI Gym, she was thankful that an agent held the door open for her.

"Can I help you, Ma'am?" The agent asked. If Brennan had to estimate, she would say he was in his mid to late forties. He was relatively healthy, however the slight beer gut would state otherwise. Based strictly on his attire - a pair of sweat pants and a plain grey shirt that had FBI written across the back - he was either about to start a workout or about to finish and head to the lockers.

"I was looking for Agent Booth's locker." Her voice was hesitant and crackled slightly.

"You're his lady friend aren't you? The scientist woman?" He asked, gesturing Brennan to follow him as he slouched his way towards a room off to the side.

"Yes." Her answer was short and simple; not wanting to indulge in a conversation.

"Here we go - locker 9." Outstretching his hand to knock on the wooden slate, the Agent left Brennan to her own devices as he slumped out of the door in the same way he had arrived.

Pressing her eyes closed and counting to ten, Brennan reopened them and turned the combination lock silently thanking Booth for texting her the combination earlier that morning. Hearing the click of the mechanism she pulled on the lock and sighed when it popped open. Threading the lock through the holes, she pulled the door open and observed the contents inside. The locker came with one shelf, in which she innocently moved around a bottle of cologne, body wash, couple pairs of neatly tucked socks, folded boxers and a half-empty bottle of water. In the larger compartment, Brennan found three  
folded towels stacked in a pile with a pair of basketball shorts and a shirt folded on top of the white terry-cloth.

She knew Booth was a relatively clean and well-kept man, but seeing his locker in a particularly neat order made her frustrated. The fact that she had broken the heel of one of her favorite pair of boots didn't help matters either. Giving a quick glance at the inside of the door, Brennan couldn't help but smile at the photo of Parker and herself taped where it could be seen every time he opened the  
latch. Taking a deep breath, Brennan shifted her focus back to the pile in the bottom of his locker where an envelope lay.

Her hands were shaking as she picked the crisp sachet up. Her heart rate increasing, she began to feel heavy palpitations beat through her chest. Slipping her index finger under the lip she opened it with easy success.

Like the last clue, she again received three pieces of information: a letter, a set of lyrics and the clue. However, this time she received an additional sentiment in the form of a gift, which was lying under the envelope.

Setting everything back on Booth's folded clothes, Brennan picked up the letter and opened it, her heart skipping a beat as she read over his familiar cursive.

_Temperance,_

_If you're reading this, you've started our month-long treasure hunt and you're at the first real clue. By now you're probably wondering what to expect, but, as usual, I'm not going to tell you. Nevertheless, I will tell you this: keep the gifts; you'll need them on your birthday. _

_Hopefully you're reading this first, otherwise it's basically useless, but like I said in my last letter, don't over analyze it all, take it as it comes and go with the flow. _

_Oh, and Bones, I think I've realised why you like daisies so very. Is it because of your middle name by any chance? Daessee. Anyway, I love the name; it's unique, like you. And in a good way, I assure you that. _

_For now, I love you and I hope you'll come up to my office when you're finished. I'll take you to breakfast or coffee at least._

_I was going to sign off as Seeley, but you know how much I detest the name, so Booth it will be._

_Love always,_

_Seeley Booth _

_P.S. - Got you there, didn't I Bones? _

She couldn't help but smile as she read over his letter once, twice and, just to be sure, a third and fourth time. Slipping the letter back on the pile, she picked up the set of lyrics and opened them, holding her breath as she did so.

"_When my soul was in the lost-and-found. You came along to claim it. I didn't know just what was wrong with me. Till your kiss helped me name it. Now I'm no longer doubtful of what I'm living for. Cause if I make you happy I don't need no more."_

_- (Natural Woman – Aretha Franklin)_

Slightly confused over Booth's choice of lyrics, Brennan wondered if it as a reminder of their first kiss.

_It has to be the kiss in the rain, doesn't it?_

Again, like the letter, she read over the lyrics for a second and third time before blowing a curl away from her face and placing the lyrics back on the pile, her hands smoothing over her dress as a band of sweat started to glisten on her palms; nerves setting in.

Picking up the clue, Brennan hesitantly flipped it open.

_IOYELRRNAD_

Like the lyrics, the clue left Brennan confused and dazed. Her mind trying to decipher the jumbled letters in a sequence, but nothing seemed to fit. Growling under her breath, Brennan shoved the clue back in the locker and pulled out the gift box that was wrapped in newspaper, more precisely the wrapping was from the comics section from last Sunday's edition of the Washington Post.

She slipped her finger under the tape at one end and pulled it free. Letting the paper fall open, Brennan's frustration melted as the fallen paper revealed a box of her favourite scented candles – _crème brûlée._

Opening her handbag, which had slumped down from her shoulder in the process of looking through the envelope, Brennan opened it and carefully placed the newfound ornaments inside.

Finishing up in the gym, Brennan started to hobble her way out in hope of catching Booth in his office like he had asked. After what she had just been through, she needed a coffee or maybe a shot of tequila. Either way, she needed something strong.


	14. Naughty

**A/N: A big shout out to my wonderful beta Sophia (Mali Bear's Buddy), she's done an amazing job at making suggestions and fixing up my blatantly obvious errors. If you haven't read her work please do so, she has amazing talent and she's gifted, seriously. Please cheek out her fic _"The Promise In The Goodbye"_, it is a once in a lifetime fic that isn't like many others I've read. I've had a sneak preview of the next 3 chapters and boy, she's got some amazing stuff written and I know you'll all love it. Check it out and drop a friendly review, I'm an overprotected Aunty to that fic, and Sophia is not getting nearly enough recognition for her wonderful work. **

**Sorry babe, I had to do it. Overprotective tenancies, you know me. =)**

**Secondly, this chapter is back to the "M" rating and I promise the non-"M" rated stuff was delicate to this fic. I promise you there will be more "M" rated things in chapters Q and R. Beyond that, I haven't a thought except for Z. **

**^SPOILERS^ If you haven't seen episodes 6x01 and 6x02 I wouldn't advise you read the following. I've been downloading the episodes on a Friday night and watching them Saturday morning and I LOVE Hannah. There's just something about her that I enjoy. I also think its sad that Brennan's been giving Booth these little hints that she's ready to give them a chance, but she's missed her moment and I quite from Rebecca "there's a moment where you can catch fire" she's ready for that moment, but Booth's now got Hannah in his life, but it is said she will only be in a handful of episodes so we will all have hope building very soon. Lastly, how funny was Clark and his little tirade. I laughed so hard, I then rewound the DVD and watched again and again. I loved it. **

**Enough of my rambling: without further ado, I give you...

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**Naughty**

A knock at his office door had Booth grunting in dismay. Leaning back in his chair and pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed.

"Come in." He called to whoever was on the other side. He had drawn the blinds earlier in the morning, not wanting to be distracted, but it was in times like these that he wished he'd kept them open to see who was wanting his attention. That or to draw inspiration from the bullpen. His irritated mood instantly dissolved when she hobbled into his office, an embarrassed look creeping onto her features along with a slight blush.

"Bones." The enthusiasm in his voice conveyed what he was feeling. He hadn't seen her since they fell asleep on Saturday night and was thrilled to see her standing in the middle of her office, flustered.

"I broke a heel." She groaned, exhaling deeply. She rounded the table to where Booth was sitting and leaned against the edge of his desk, a smile creeping onto her lips as she entwined her fingers with his.

He didn't speak though, and neither did she.

They just sat there as the seconds turned into minutes. Their eyes connecting on a level that showed the appreciation of the presence of the other person. Whether it be Booth appreciating Brennan, or Brennan appreciating Booth.

They sat there in silence, until Booth tugged Brennan from the table and she landed in his lap, instantly wrapping her arms around his neck and nesting her head in the crook of his neck.

"How did you break your heel?" He asked softly, running a hand up her back.

"I tripped and fell in visitor's parking. I was - _admittedly_ – in a hurry to find your next clue." She mumbled against his neck, her breath sending shivers through Booth's body and causing goose bumps to rise on and around his neck.

Chuckling tenderly Booth pulled Brennan's face away from his neck and captured her lips in his. There was no fight for dominance; there was no thought. The kiss was simply tongue-free and unhurried. The kiss was soft and innocent as Booth nipped at Brennan's bottom lip, her own mouth opening and closing against his touch. Lightly, Booth lapped his tongue into her mouth, grazing his tongue against hers in a tender dance.

His hands ran their way to her hips, then her thighs and finally to the hem of her dress, where they skirted up the inside and skimmed against the milky white skin of her left thigh. The sensation sent a shrill of excitement through the lower half of Brennan's anatomy as she pulled from the kiss and leant her forehead against Booth's.

"I had to use my vibrator last night. Please, Booth, I need _pie_." As much as she tried to keep the plea from her voice, she couldn't. There was a longing in the way she said '_please, Booth_'. It was clear that she intended to seek relief, right there in Booth's office where anyone could walk in.

"Bones." Booth groaned, grazing his teeth over the column of her neck, her head arching back in pleasure as her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

"Please."

He knew he couldn't refuse her, that she'd won the second the word escaped kiss-swollen lips. "Okay."

Smiling adoringly as she captured his lips, Brennan slipped from Booth's lap as she noticed the growing arousal in his dress pants, the navy blue material tenting slightly.

"Go lock the door." He begged, watching as Brennan sashayed her hips towards his door to flick the latch. Pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index, Booth silently prayed that no one could hear them or interrupt if they could.

**o0o**

They met in a fierce embrace in the center of the room. Brennan's arms instantly wrapped around Booth's neck to bring him in close. Booth returned his hands to their prior position under her dress; only this time they soared against her skin until his large palms came to rest on her hips, the lace of her panties tickling his palms.

"Booth." She moaned against his mouth as he led them towards the small couch in the corner of the room. Ever the gentleman, he guided her down softly on the couch, his body coming to rest on top of hers as he flicked at the elastic of her panties, Unbeknown to him, a pair of very sexy and hardly-there black Victoria's Secret panties, with a rear diamante heart.

Pushing his lips away from hers, Booth guided her dress up and over her hips, thanking her softly when her hips bucked beneath his own.

"Nice," He mumbled, taking in the sight of the _cheeky lace panties._ Booth's breath caught in his throat as he gently eased the material down Brennan's exposed thighs.

The trimmed tuft of curls were soaked as Booth's ran two fingers over her slit before pressed down on her clitoris, smiling as she whimpered under him. The ecstasy truly coming to light as Booth started a steady rhythm of flickering and compressing against her clit with his thumb, while his index finger ran downwards and inwards, combining to bring a sensation Brennan had never felt before.

"Booth." She whimpered a near sob.

Leaning up, Booth eased his lips onto hers, thankful when she opened her mouth to him and he was able to pump his tongue in and out of her mouth in time with the actions he was taking on her lower body. The heady sensations bringing Brennan close to the edge as she tried to hold off. She wanted - _needed _- to savor the sensations that coursed through her body.

Booth could see the pained look across her face as she tried to keep herself from breaking against him and he made him realise just how much he loved her…how much he_ truly_ loved her.

"Let go." He whispered against her ear, before claiming her lips with his to try and drown out the cry that had escaped, while the delirious torture started to violently shake her body. He felt her body shatter beneath him, his doings bringing her to orgasm. The shaking of her body, the smile upturning on her lips and the glistening in her eyes was all worth the relief she had endured.

His fingers continued to tease her insides as he helped her ride out her climax, his own smile gracing his lips as a bead of sweat started to form on her forehead.

"How was that?" He whispered, reluctantly pulling his fingers from inside her as she stopped the minor trembling, her composure being regained.

"Earth shattering." She heaved; her voice husky. The two word sentence dripped with the pleasure that poured from her. Her eyes were dark with desire. The obvious pent up sexual tension vanished from her shoulders, making them light-weight.

"Good." Booth replied, wiping his hands on a Kleenex tissue, before gently pulling her panties back up her legs and tucking them in place, smoothing her dress back down her legs.

Booth watched as Brennan's eyes fluttered closed again, a sigh reverberating through her lips. The look of innocence pulled at Booth's heartstrings as he dropped a tender kiss to her lips, she reacted and bought him into the deep pull of a slow kiss. His own eyes drifted closed as he became lost in the moment they shared.

"Tonight, I'm…going to… give you… another… go around… because I… can't have you… using… your vibrator." He said between kisses.

"B-Booth." She sighed dreamily, her eyes flicking open to stare into the chocolate brown orbs that were lapping her up.

"My place, 7:30PM. I'll cook dinner and we'll let the rest ebb and flow." The quietness was endearing to her ear as Brennan simply nodded her head against him, reaching up to kiss him once more.

"I love you." She said the words and felt another weight lift from her shoulders. They didn't feel forced or taste repulsive. In all honestly, if felt - good. It bought a warming sensation to her chest as she felt Booth collapse against her body in a sigh; relief obvious on his part.

"I love you too, Temperance." He reiterated. The sense of overwhelming shock bringing a smile to his mouth as she chuckled slightly, "How did feel to say it?"

"Good, surprising. I've never told someone I love them before, so it feels nice to say it to you and truly mean it."

"Excellent." Smiling he pecked her cheek and lifted himself off of her and off of the couch, leaning a hand down for her to grip onto. "Come on."

Taking his hand, Brennan let Booth pull her into a standing position, her weight leaning heavily on her left side as she tried not to put pressure on the broken right heel.

"You look nice by the way, the dress suits you." He commented, reaching a hand around to lightly tap her ass, his hand spreading around the cheek and pinching delicately.

Brimming a lighthouse smile, Brennan blushed. "Thank-you."

Winking, Booth released himself from her and straightened out his clothing. "Did you want to go for coffee or something?"

"Yes, a Hazelnut Macchiato sounds desirable." She nodded, picking up her discarded handbag from the floor near Booth's desk. "Could we buy it from the coffee cart? It's closer to my apartment and I would like to change my shoes; these boots are no longer functional."

Shaking his head, Booth grabbed his wallet, gun and phone from the top drawer of his desk. "Lead the way, Bones."

With that, they slipped out from Booth's office and the Hoover and into the sunshine of the spring morning.


	15. Optimism

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the fourteen day delay in updating, however I have been very unwell of late. In July I contracted Glandular Fever which placed me away from school for most term 3, along with being severely iron deficient which added to me being ill. Lately, I've been suffering from major headaches - closing in on a migraine - which has lowered down into my neck and when I went to the doctor on Thursday, he told me I had viral Meningitis - inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. However, because I've been having these headaches since I first become sick, my doctor isn't so sure so he's sending me for a CT scan; would have been an MRI but CT scans are much cheaper and you can claim on medicare - Mum will be happy.**

**Because I've been so unwell, I'm thankful that I've written some of these chapters while I've been feeling better and not when I've been having one of my "down" days. I can't say the same for my writing at the moment. I'm in the midst of writing chapter Q for this and its not coming together like I would have wanted but I think its because of my inflamed brain. **

**I have to give a huge thank-you to Sophia, she's been wonderful in everything! She's my rock - my very large boulder rock - but still my rock in this all and I couldn't produce what I'm producing without her. So, to say thank-you to Sophia (Mali Bear's Buddy) please mosey over to her fanfiction **The Promise in the Goodbye. **It is an amazing fanfiction and she's been a little down lately because she's putting in SO much hard work and the readers are not giving her the credit for what she's written. **

**Every writer spends hours trying to perfect these pieces we're sending out to you, so its disheartening when we don't receive feedback - whether its good or constructive feedback we feel pleased when we know we're doing something right and people are actually reading and enjoying, or willing to make suggestions to make what we right better.**

**I'm sorry for the long authors note, but I had to say what I've had to say. **

**Just one last thing, finally Australia is getting to see Bones tonight. After Channel 7's prolonged delay, we finally get to view the Brennan and Booth reunion. However, with a little knowledge from Sophia, I think we'll be catching up to America as FOX broadcasts the World Series (baseball for all of you that don't know - I had to ask myself). So maybe it was a strategic thing by Channel 7, who knows.**

**Without further ado and after the very long authors note, I give you - Optimism.

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**Optimism **

The rest of the day went by remarkable fast after their little rendezvous in Booth's office. So much so, that it was 5:00PM in the afternoon before Booth could blink an eye. He had prepared a list for the evening in accordance with what he had to do on his way home, dropping by the grocery store being his first priority.

In between shuffling paperwork from various cases, Booth started to Google vegetarian recipes and felt relief when he found a recipe that sounded appealing even to him. Dessert on the other hand had been a struggle but, after about an hour, he finally found the perfect recipe to cap of their fine dining. With that, he was thankful that his partner was a lacto-vegetarian which made his life that little much easier when he could include dairy products such as milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter and cream.

Booth was adamant to make this a night, Brennan would forever remember.

Pushing back on his swivel chair, Booth holstered his gun for the final time and grabbed his wallet, phone, badge and keys from the desk and double checked over his scribbled handwriting of what made up a shopping list. Striding towards the door of his office, he was just about to flick the light off when the door opened. Sweets peered his head into the office to see if the Agent had left for the night.

"Agent Booth." The psychologist called, his head whipping around to see Booth standing by the light switch, his hand frozen midair.

Sighing, Booth dragged a hand over his five o'clock shadow. "What do you want, Sweets."

"I was uh, just coming to ask you for a little advice. You know… man to man." The stutter in Sweets' voice had Booth groaning and rolling his eyes. Why was he the guy to go to for manly advice? First Hodgins, now Sweets. Was he a walking billboard for advice on women? Surely not. He couldn't hold onto a woman for longer than a month or two. It was blatantly obvious to the women he dated that he had trailing eyes for his partner, the one and only Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan.

"I would love to stay and chat, but I've got to get to the supermarket if I want dinner before midnight." Pursing his lips into a tight smile, Booth flicked the light switch of his office sending the room into darkness. "If you would like to talk, I'm available during office hours." The reverse psychology must have worked because the next thing Booth knew Sweets was no longer hanging around the office door.

Shrugging, Booth glanced over his shoulder and exited the office, ready to hit the supermarket.

**o0o**

That morning as they shared a coffee by the Reflection Pool on the Mall, Booth had told Brennan to be at her place by 7:00PM. Well, 7:00PM had come and gone. As he sat at the kitchen table in her apartment, sipping at the rest of the amber liquid of the beer he cradled, he was growing worried. Exhaling, he drained his beer and grabbed his keys from the sofa table in the hall and deposited his phone and wallet in the pocket of his jacket. He took the stairs two a time until he was at ground level and cursed as a shower of rain started to fall as he darted to his SUV, reversing into the line of traffic.

Somehow, unbeknownst to him, he had managed to get from his apartment to the Jeffersonian in record time. He knew she was going to be there. It was her second home; no doubt about it. So it came as no surprise when he entered the double glazed doors and greeted the night security that he saw a soft dulled light emitting from her office.

A sense of relief washed through him as he walked across the Medico-Legal, his elation over finding his partner - his girlfriend, his soul mate - safe and sound in her office overshadowing the usual the vibe of death and demise offered by the space. He'd been a homicide cop for years. Before that he took lives as an Army Ranger Sniper. It pained him when he had to take another life, but he knew he would protect  
her at any cost. So much so that if anyone ever hurt her he wouldn't hesitate. The weight of worrying about her - and about Parker - bore down on his shoulders as it were the weight of the world. He loved his job but because of his position he knew things; things that he wished he was oblivious to. He strove to be selfless, to always put others - especially her - first. Was it wrong that he wanted to know that she cared for him as deeply? Would she protect him at any cost? Did she feel the same way?

He didn't know. Ultimately, he didn't want to know. The thought of losing her was unbearable.

Racking his knuckles on the door, Booth pushed the glass open, smiling as he did so. There she sat with an intent look etched into her features as she penned something on a piece of paper.

"Bones."

Dropping the pen upon hearing his voice, Brennan looked up. "What time is it?" Was her only question, as she pushed back from the desk and stood, before crossing her office to stand in front of him.

"A little after 8:30PM." He answered, reaching out to lace his fingers with hers, pulling her into his chest where her arms involuntarily wrapped around his waist. "Get caught up in your work?"

"It seems so." Her smile was small, ghosting across her lips, but it was enough to warm Booth's heart. "I received a call from Pierre LaManche, the director of Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale in Quebec Province. Apparently the Anthropologist serving there is perplexed by a set of human remains and would like for me to look over x-rays and notes to help determine how the victim died." She explained. Her voice slightly muffled by Booth's chest, but even so, Booth understood most of what she was saying. However, the French terminology of their own version of the Jeffersonian was lost on him.

"Is that the Anthropologist you were talking about on our second case? In Montreal right?" He asked, pulling her away from his body slightly. He watched as she nodded and leant her head skywards, their lips brushing together, before molding as one in a soft, gentle kiss.

"I hope you didn't go to too much trouble making dinner." The optimism in her voice was genuine; as was the regret in her eyes.

Shrugging, Booth dropped a kiss to the tip of her nose. "It'll keep. I hope."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't sweat it. Tell me about this case." Squeezing her hand in reassurance, Booth pushed off of the doorframe and stepped fully into her office, already making his way to her couch as she followed shortly behind.

"Admittedly, it has me bemused but I will not concede defeat." She stated as they sat down, her head resting against the hard plain of his chest, his arm wrapped around her shoulder and traced aimless patterns on her dress covered arm.

She was only going home to change from her broken boots when Booth dropped her at her apartment after their go-around in his office. But when Brennan reemerged from her apartment and stepped into the SUV twenty minutes later, she had also changed dresses. She now wore beautiful red wrap dress with full length sleeves was bowed together with a tie at the front - and if untied the dress would fall open.

"Mmm 'kay." Booth mumbled, wrapping a tendril of hair around his finger, his other hand dancing across the tie of her dress, little did he know that Brennan had also changed her lingerie to match the red of her dress.

Brennan would admit - even if it were to herself - that she liked to dress with designer labels. Tony Bianco, Marc Jacobs, Victoria's Secret. However, there was the odd impulse buy lingering in her wardrobe, a buy from a lesser known store or from online.

"If you pull that string, you might find something you'd regret." She laughed idly, feeling the blush redden on Booth's cheeks as he threw his hand away from the ties. "And I can assure you dinner will be delayed much further." She added. Her voice was filled with confidence as if it were the most natural way to start a conversation. Only it made Booth's cheeks darken in further embarrassment. Although he spoke freely of buying her new lingerie to replace the ones ruined by the lagoon, Booth still had trouble with the bluntness of her statements regarding their sex life, or lack thereof.

"Uh, thanks for that mental image, Bones." Shaking his head, Booth sighed and sank deeper into the couch, releasing the curl that was wound around his finger.

They fell into a calming silence. Brennan's eyes slowly drifting closed against the rhythm of Booth's hand running through her auburn waves, while Booth himself, enjoyed the serenity of the innocence between them. Together they sat comforted on the couch in Brennan's office as seconds turned into minutes and minutes turning into an hour before Brennan spoke.

"The evening doesn't have to be ruined, does it?"

"No, it doesn't." Booth agreed, his head resting against the top of hers.

"Could you give me a lift home, Booth?" Looking up to him, Brennan reached up a hand to stroke his cheek, her thumb grazing over his stubble. "And maybe stay the night." Lifting her head slowly, Brennan pressed her lips to his, her eyes falling closed upon impact as he reciprocated the kiss and deepened it ever so slightly.

"Let's go home, Bones." His sentence didn't go unnoticed by Brennan. However, for some unknown reason, she felt that she was at home when she was around Booth. She felt comfortable in sharing her home with him, just as much as he felt comfortable in sharing his home with her. Brennan hoped that he would start leaving clothing in her apartment. And when most of his clothes had moved into her wardrobe and his bathroom products into her bathroom she would ask him to move in.

_Yes, that was the plan._ When he was practically living with her, she would ask him to move in.

Flicking off the light of her office and closing the door behind her, Brennan grasped hold of Booth's bicep and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked slowly from the Jeffersonian.


	16. Pamper

**A/N: First of all I would just like to say the Day Spa I have used in this chapter is an actual place, as is the pamper regime that is included. I did extensive research to make this as "real" as possible. I wanted the Day Spa is be organic or as green as possible, and this specific Day Spa popped up and it sounded perfect, because it was also opened on a Sunday which tied the whole chapter together. **

**Secondly, to me, blue is the colour of desire; especially a dark blue that smolders in the lights. My beautiful beta, Sophia and I debated which colour is the colour of desire; I kept saying blue, she was saying red, but nether less, a person has their own opinion. **

**I enjoyed writing this chapter, because of the twist that is coming up in the next chapter. Also, after the next chapter I am going into some heavy writing and it has been a struggle to write and without the help of Sophia, I don't think I will be able to get through it and still be in a healthy mental state. **

**Finally, without further ado, I gave you, chapter 16.

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**Pamper**

It had been a long week since Brennan had received the second clue and in that time she had been able to decipher it and collect the third. Which, on this Sunday morning was being used. Along with his note, song lyrics, clue and gift, Booth had added an extra gift. A treat for Brennan; something to get her mind off their current case and it allowed her to have some much needed girl time with Angela. So when asked, Angela needed no time to think about spending the daylight hours at a Day Spa being pampered by the best in the business.

They were to start their day at 8:30AM when Angela would arrive on Brennan's doorstep and they would share coffee and breakfast before making their way over to Nusta Day Spa, an organic service that delighted Brennan very much.

The rapping at her front door bought Brennan from her sleep with a groan. "Get up." She mumbled to what she thought was a sleeping Booth, her hand falling over to side to grip the blankets but found nothing but air.

Slowly she peeled her eyes open and pulled herself into a reclined position against the pillows, her eyes adjusting to the darkness which filtered through the bedroom as a strong scent of coffee wafted under the bedroom door. A smile instantly brimming on her lips as a sigh of relief passed through them as the racket at her front door stopped only to be converted into a soft tap at her bedroom door. Mumbling a 'come in', Brennan's smile broadened when Booth poked his head into the bedroom. "Angela's here."

"Okay." She nodded, pulling the covers from her body and stepping from the bed as Booth ducked back out of view and closed the door behind himself.

Giving herself the once over and finding she was not suitably dressed to face Angela, Brennan quickly changed into a pair of three quarter leggings and slipped one of Booth's black FBI shirts over her shoulders.

Padding out of the bedroom, Brennan was greeted with a cup of coffee and a kiss on the cheek from Booth as she sunk into one of her kitchen chairs where Angela looked just as bleary eyed as she felt.

"Morning, Angela." Brennan greeted taking a sip of her coffee; smirking as she realised Booth had made her favourite brew – 100% Jamaican Blue Mountain.

"What time does the spa open?" Angela asked in return of a greeting, taking her own sip of the steaming liquid that Booth had placed in front of her.

"10:00AM. I must compliment Booth for finding an organic day spa. They're rare, even in DC." Hearing his name, Booth turned his head from the stove.

"What I do for love." He chuckled before turning back to the breakfast concoction he was in the midst of making for his beautiful soul mate and her best friend. Brennan was truly Booth's soul mate, his better half; even if she wouldn't acknowledge it.

"So Bren, what do you have us signed up for? I need the juicy details," Winking playfully, Angela ran a finger over the brim of her tall coffee mug. It came as no surprise that most of Brennan's mugs were with cultural significance. Most being picked up in countries she'd visited. India. Sri Lanka. New Zealand. Spain. Mexico. Denmark. Guatemala. All Brennan's coffee mugs had significance to her. Each and everyone were handpicked from small villages in each country. Many were thrown on crude pottery wheels as clay and old women with cracked hands would make them into a drinking cup.

"I doubt an orange can tell you what I'm about to say." Puzzled, Brennan shook her head and continued. "However, I've booked us in for Super Scrub where we'll have Dead Sea salts or maple syrup body scrub exfoliated into our skin. After that, we'll have a stone massages, where they'll alternate between hot and cold stones. Next, we'll have a Pure Facial and we'll be enduring classical cleansing with exfoliation, extractions and facial massage and a custom mask. After the facial, we have a 30 minute break were we can grab some lunch and have coffee in their lounge. After lunch we're booked in Pure Manicure - which includes as hand massage - and Pure Pedicure. I'm unsure about the following bookings, with that said; I booked us in for waxing. We can choose what we will be having waxed once we're in the waxing rooms. We'll end the day with haircuts and have our make-up done. We should be out of the Day Spa by around 5:00PM."

"Wow, sweetie, you thought of everything." Angela gasped, reveling in what her best friend had just told her. "Booth did well. Giving you the voucher is simply amazing."

"Especially given the amount on the voucher, it wasn't cheap." Brennan mused when Booth sat their breakfast down in front of them. Although, breakfast hadn't taken long to make, he had wanted to give them time to discuss their day at the spa.

"Thank-you, studly." Angela cooed, basking in the breakfast of waffles with fresh fruit and maple syrup.

Booth had made two different breakfasts, three if you counted his bacon and egg sandwich that was sitting in the oven keeping warm.

"Yes, thank-you, Booth." Tilting her head northerly, Brennan reached up to graze her finger pads over Booth's cheek, her thumb taking its time to run over the stubble on his jaw line.

Booth dropped into another chair encircled around the table and leaned forward to peck Brennan on the lips before turning to Angela. "You can pay me back by keeping Bones occupied all day, Ange. I have to get the final details for tonight ready."

"Got a hot date lined up?" The artist asked with a wink.

"Something like that." Humming silently, Booth rolled his tongue over his bottom lip and picked up his coffee from the table, smiling over the rim towards Brennan.

Chewing through a mouthful of waffles, Angela mumbled. "Okay."

**o0o**

If asked, both Angela and Brennan would say the day was a great success. They laughed and smiled and enjoyed the company of one another as each felt the stress lift from their shoulders. With having their hair and make-up taken care of Angela had more time to find the perfect dress to compliment the new tones of brown in Brennan's hair and the smoldering make-up that was highlighting her facial architecture. Although Brennan had insisted that she didn't need help finding a dress for the night's events, Angela simply brushed her off.

So now, Angela Montenegro-Hodgins was standing in front of the overly large wardrobe of Dr. Temperance _'Bones'_ Brennan. Dresses were sprawled in every direction; draped over the wardrobe's bi-fold doors, over the bed, the mirror, the ensuite door and the door entering her bedroom.

"I definitely think you should wear a blue dress; and _not_ just because it enhances your eyes. Blue is the colour of desire and I'm going to make you desirable. Booth will be undressing you from the moment he lays eyes on you, sweetie."

Pursing her lips together, Angela grabbed the last two dresses from the rack she was currently on. Holding a dress in each hand, both of which were blue, the artist held them up into the bedroom light, a mumble of satisfaction dripping from her lips as she hung one dress back on the rack, the other being kept safely in her hand.

"This dress is beautiful, Bren." The dress _was_ beautiful, no doubt about it.

"Yes, indeed it is." Conceded Brennan, walking from her ensuite into the bedroom in only a pair of Victoria's Secret V-string black panties and a matching _Miraculous_ push-up bra. "The last time I wore it was years ago, though. I'm not sure if it will fit."

Wolf whistling, Angela couldn't contain her laughter, "You have to wear this dress tonight."

**o0o**

Placing first one silver earring and then the other into the lobes, she guided her hand carefully away from the locks of hair that were neatly curled around her face. Brennan took in a lungful of air and released it simultaneously.

Stepping back from her dresser, she turned to face Angela by the full length mirror in the other corner of her room. Taking the three steps over to where Angela was standing, her body hovering next to the mirror; Brennan came into view of the reflective glass.

"You look…gorgeous," Tears sprang in Angela's eyes as she gushed over the final creation of Brennan. Her masterpiece had come together as a symbol of greatness and beauty.

Smoothing her hands over her hips and joining her hands together in front of her body, Brennan had to agree. She did look stunning. The knee length royal blue dress was in an elegant and timeless design, perfect for any special occasion. The halter top dress had shirred midriff and flowing A-line knee length skirt, which would look pleasant on any sized figure. Her hair was in soft tendrils of curls, slipping down past her shoulders. She wore a simply silver chain around her neck, her mother's ring on her right hand and a thin silver bracelet around her left wrist. A pair of simple silver, ankle strap three inch heels completed her outfit to perfection along with a small silver clutch that she was yet to collect from the nightstand next to her bed.

"Bones." Booth's voice echoed throughout the dimmed apartment, his feet scurrying along the floorboards.

"She'll be out in a minute, Booth." Angela called before turning back to Brennan. "Good luck, sweetie."

With her final goodbyes to her friend, Angela slipped from the bedroom and from the apartment, her own night's adventures with her husband about to begin.

"Bones." His voice was softer this time and Brennan knew instantly that he was on the other side of the door.

Taking one last look in the mirror, Brennan stepped over to the door and pulled it open.


	17. Quagmire

**A/N: Well, well, well... We finally meet again. I know, I know, its been a while, three weeks in fact. But these last couple of weeks have been some of the hardest three weeks I've ever had. School is coming to an end, which means knuckling down in my school work for revision for my exams. I completed the first this morning - my English exam - so fingers crossed for me. **

**Another thing, this chapter was a bitch to write. I had what I thought was an alright chapter then I got complete writers block. I sent it to my beautiful beta, Sophia, and she recommend a rewrite. At first I was against it, but once I actually rewrote the start, I was on total fire and it came in leaps and bounds. Sophia had been under the weather with the flu and a major deadline so it pushed the posting back, then I took my sweet little time in actually editing and posting. **

**Nevertheless, here is the long awaited chapter!

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**Quagmire**

After a night of dancing and fine wine, they had fallen asleep in each other's arms in the back of the SUV looking up at the stars. They felt groggy when awoken by Booth's phone alarm at 3AM. Groaning, Booth shifted uncomfortably as he reached back, searching for the pocket of his jacket where his phone lay. To say his back hurt would be like saying Mike Tyson wasn't violent towards women. Nonetheless, through sleep-ridden eyes, he found his phone and turned the alarm off.

"What time is it?" Brennan asked, her voice husky and full of sleep. She didn't bother to fully open her eyes as she slid from Booth to the edge of the SUV, her bare feet dangling over the edge. Instead of ending their night at one of their respective apartments, Booth eventually turned off the engine on a gravel road somewhere between D.C and Arlington.

"3AM." He replied. Tugging at a bag that he had shoved in the corner, Booth flicked on the overhead light. Unzipping the backpack and pulled out some more casual clothing. "Here, change into these." Passing a pair of jeans to her, he watched as she shimmied into them, pulling them up beneath her cocktail dress. He knew he should look away, give his girlfriend some privacy, but seeing her sleep rumpled with her hair mussed turned him on. His eyes drank in the glow of her pale skin as she drew the dress over her head. Unwilling to delay his plans, he finally turned away when he handed her a  
singlet, shirt and windbreaker. No use starting something he couldn't finish.

"Why the 3AM wake-up call?" She asked as she zipped the jacket.

"There's a second part of my date." He answered with his charming Booth-y smile. Throwing her a pair of socks and trainers, he watched as she slid them over her feet and pulled her jeans over the tongues. "You can sleep on the way."

"Mm." She mumbled. Coming to lean against the back of the SUV, Brennan reached out for Booth and brought him closer, sealing her lips over his. She tasted the strong black with a hint of the orange and Grand Mariner Soufflé he'd for dessert along with the tang of the Riesling they'd drunk from the bottle once settled under the stars.

In return, he tasted the list hints of the foam from her cappuccino and her lingering scent of perfume. He could taste Grilled Artichokes with sautéed mushrooms that she had for her main course and the Banoffee she had for dessert.

Regretfully, he pulled away. He realised the situation would quickly get out of hand if he didn't stop, that a tender kiss had become full of passion and love. Pecking her swollen lips, he smiled shyly and slid from the SUV. Quickly changing into a pair of jeans and tee-shirt, he pulled on a pair of trainers before shutting the tailgate and backing Brennan against it.

"I love you." He whispered into the mussed hair beside her ear. Taking his time, he slowly took her earring from her ear and handed it to her before taking her lobe in his teeth, gently grazing his teeth on the flesh. Releasing with a pop, he kissed the underside of her ear then backed away and repeated his proclamation. "I love you."

"Ego diligo vos quoque." Although the sentence wasn't in English, the words of "_I Love You Too"_ had Booth smiling like a school boy.

Wanting to draw her in for another savory kiss, Booth resisted. Instead, he grabbed his keys, rounded the SUV to the driver's side door and got in. He waited until Brennan followed and clicked her seatbelt in place before starting the engine and pulling back onto the road.

**o0o**

It was just two hours later - without the cadence of traffic - when Booth pulled onto a gravel road and then into a vacant car park. Apart from the low rumble of the engine, the only other sounds surrounding them were those of water splashing over rocks and the early morning wildlife. Exiting the vehicle first, Booth rounded to the trunk and opened it up. He could sense Brennan behind him before he saw her and instantly knew that the stopping motion of the car had woken her.

Ignoring her when she spouted off sleepy questions, Booth reached in and pulled another two backpacks that he had shoved in the previous night. Peeking inside one of the bags, he made sure everything he needed was inside before swinging it over his shoulders and taking a seat.

"Come here." He motioned with his head for her to step into the warm circle of his embrace. She compiled without hesitancy and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Where are we, Booth?" She asked quietly, brushing her lips over his unshaven cheek.

Nudging her face up, Booth captured his lips in hers for a long, slow kiss. "Shenandoah National Park." His answer was just as soft as her question, drawing her lips back into his as she sunk into his touch. Their eyes closed simultaneously as the elongated kiss bought warmth to the early morning chill that was flowing between them.

"I had to pull a few strings." Pausing, he looked sincerely in her eyes. "I thought you'd enjoy watching the sun rise over the waterfalls. I also figured it would be a great way to spend the rest of our weekend together since I don't have Parker."

Smiling, Brennan pressed her lips against the corner of his mouth before leaning back. "You have a thing for watching dawn break, don't you? First the lagoon, now here." Laughing, Brennan shook her head, before her voice took on a lower, softer tone. "I appreciate the sentiment, Booth."

"I know." He whispered. Leaning his head forehead against the crook of her shoulder and neck, Booth sighed and closed his eyes, listening to her heart beat in her chest. After what seemed a lifetime, he pulled himself away from her and into a standing position, closing the trunk of the car before turning back to her and handed her one of the backpacks. "I like the outdoors and I know you do to. If we both enjoy something, why not take full advantage and experience it together, as a couple."

"Your evidence supports a positive conclusion, so I must agree with your logic." Slinging the bag over her shoulders, Brennan smiled adoringly up to Booth as he chuckled and shook his head at her squint speak.

Flicking on a flashlight to guide their way down a particular trail, Booth illuminated a sign as they passed allowing Brennan to see exactly where they were going, how many miles it would be and how long it would take to reach their destination. After hearing a sigh of approval from the woman in question, he dropped the light onto the track and enveloped her hand in his.

The cascade of water grew louder as they neared. With each step they took, they became closer to where they would set up for a day by the falls. From their position on the rock ledge, they would have a perfect view of the sun rising over the top of the waterfall and into the Shenandoah Valley and Massanutten Mountains off to the west.

Being comfortable with one another, they didn't feel the need to fill the void of silence as they walked. When they did converse, the conversations were short and light. They laughed and helped each other up the steep incline before resting against one of the large boulders.

"We can have a warm drink once we get to the falls, but for now." He paused, passing over a bottle to Brennan. "Its water, so drink up, Bones."

Releasing the cap from the plastic bottle, she took two large gulps before setting the lid back in its place. Her lips turned into a coy smile as she watched him take mouthful after mouthful of water. "I would advise you not drink all the water in the bottle, Booth, you may end up with a transient abdominal pain."

"Huh?" He asked with a queried look and a raised eyebrow.

"Muscle cramps in the abdominal region."

"Oh. A stitch you mean?"

This time was it Brennan's turn to look bewildered and her own eyebrows rising in need of clarification. Nevertheless, Booth didn't give her an answer, instead he screwed the cap back on the bottle and grabbed the other bottle that she had been drinking from and placed them back in his pack before slinging it back over his shoulders.

"There's a short plummet before the path evens out, then another vertical drop. There's also only enough path for us to walk single file." Booth said by his way of explanation as what to expect in the next half mile of terrain before branching into rock cliffs and clear blue water tumbling over higher peaks.

"I do know a little about Shenandoah, Booth, we have retrieved multiple bodies from the park." Brennan argued.

"I _know_, Bones, but this is different. This is just you and me, babe. There isn't any cell phone reception once we're down at the falls, so you're going to have to trust me."

"Okay."

"Okay? Just like that, okay?"

"Yes." She sighed, glancing up to look Booth in the eyes. "Can we start walking again? I would prefer to be seated and relaxed when the sun starts to rise."

"Yeah, sure, just…" Throwing out his arm in the direction of the path that lead down to the falls, Booth indicated that Brennan should start leading their way and he'd follow behind.

**o0o**

It took them another twenty minutes until they reached a clearing and the view of water splashing over rocks appeared. By now it was edging in on 6AM and of grey of the early morning sky started to splinter with colour on the horizon. Stopping to take in the view, Brennan felt Booth's hands circle her shoulders and pushing the backpack down her arms, setting it besides their feet. Pulling her in close, Booth felt Brennan relax against his chest and that's when he wrapped his arms around her thin waist, drawing her in even closer.

"It's beautiful, Booth." Brennan cooed, softly. Watching the water billow of the rocks, she became immersed in the scene unfolding before her very eyes. The cornflower blues took in the waterfall at every opportunity and when she went to blink her eyes, she did so quickly as if not wanting to miss anything. "Thank-you."

"For what?"

"Being you."

Leaning down and around, Booth pressed his lips to Brennan's cheek. Then her jaw. Then the underside of her ear. "Sun's about to rise." He whispered. Listening to her groan in disapproval, Booth pulled himself away from her and grabbed the backpack by their feet and took it closer to the rock ledge, setting his bag next to the one she carried.

Unzipping the first bag, Booth took out and unfolded a picnic blanket and laid it over the rocks before settling the bags on two edges, so save the blanket from lifting if a gush of wind sudden arose. Next he placed two vacuum pack pillows on the blanket, along with the portable gas stove.

Brennan, who was standing over by the side, smiled at the efforts Booth had made to set up their day by the waterfalls. Seeing that he had finished setting up the main items, she moved in and took one of the pillows and sat down.

"How much time did this take to prepare?" She asked once he, too, was seated.

Shrugging, he reached out a hand to take in hers. "A couple of days. I waited six years for you to be ready, so setting this up was a piece of cake."

"I don't know what that means." Knitting her eyebrows together in confusion, Brennan squinted awkwardly against the rise of the sun.

"Never mind." Shaking his head, he drew her in close. "Come here." That was all he needed to say and within seconds Brennan had positioned herself in between his thighs, her back against his chest and her head leaning back against the crook of his neck.

**o0o**

They watched the sun rise on the horizon with ribbons of colour bursting through the sky - blues, purples, pinks, reds and oranges. They fell asleep to the sound of birds chirping sweetly in the trees and the gentle splashing water over rocks. By mid-morning they were eating slices of a spinach and feta omelette and sipping at coffee Booth had brewed. They were joined by tourists as they were piling their used utensils back in the bags. Pleasantries were made before they cushioned themselves back in each other's arms where they continued to look out over the water. They said little, both preferring to take in the view that was set out in front. Lunch was a fight-fest between groups of tourists coming and going but finally they were able to snack on vegetarian nachos.

By mid-afternoon, a slow dwindle of tourists were ebbing and flowing; many puffing and panting, others relaxed as can be, some sported sunburns that had their skin glowing pink. After another nap under the beaming sun, Booth woke to find Brennan no longer in his secure hold. Instead, she was down by the edge of the water, dangling her feet in from a high rock ledge.

Slowly, he made his way down there; resting his knees against her back and his hands on the top of her head to massage the scalp. "We should probably make a move soon."

"Yes." She elongated her one word answer and finished with a sigh. Pulling her feet from the water she stood, wrapping her arms around Booth's waist. "Thank-you for today."

Lifting her chin with a curled index finger, he pressed his lips gently against hers in response. Their kiss slow and full of warmth and love, neither wanting to break apart for air.

"Again, thank-you." The sincerity was clear in her misted blue eyes and this time, Booth nodded. Clasping her hand in his, they started to trudge their way back up the rocks so they could pack and make their way back to his SUV.

**o0o**

The trek back took longer than it needed to take, but each felt the need to stop and appreciate the other in long, drawn out kisses that would mean so much in the future. By the time they were finally back on the main road and heading back in the direction of D.C.

"My iPod is in the glove box, could you get that and the cord out and plug it in?" Booth asked, leaning over for a quick kiss. He watched as Brennan withdrew the iPod Classic and plugged it into the cigarette adapter. Booth again focused back on the road and the static of the first song started to come through the interior of the car.

They were on their third song when _Hot Blooded_ finally started playing.

"_Well, I'm hot blooded, check it and see. I got a fever of a hundred and three…" _Singing in unison at the top of their lungs, Brennan and Booth sang the whole song along with Foreigner. Laughing as the song came to an end, both fell back into their seats and resettled as _their_ song faded out.

As the next song started to play, the ping of Booth's phone had Brennan lowering the volume on the speakers and Booth flipping open his phone to see he'd missed three calls - all now left as voicemails.

A sideways glance tells him she's checking her phone as well. He hears Charlie's voice and curses silently. "Booth, a body's been found at TIC Summer Camp, 2100 Foxhall Road; Cullen wants you and Jeffersonian people there."

"What is it?" Brennan asked.

Groaning, Booth says, "It appears we have a case."

He clicked on the next one. This time it's Cam's voice on the other end. "Booth, its Cam. The FBI has been trying to reach you. Call me when you get this."

That's when Brennan cell phone started to ring. "Hello?" She pauses briefly. "Yes, he's with me." Another pause - "I'm sorry, Dr. Saroyan, we've been out of..." Brennan pales.

Booth looked over at her. "What?" he asked. "Bones?"

"Booth," she said slowly. "You need to pull over."

"Bones, we're 7 hours late to a crime scene and you want me to pull over? I don't have time to pull over. What the hell is going on?"

"They've recovered the body of a little boy…" she told him, her voice trailing off. She eyed him warily afraid of the reaction her next statement would bring, "They feel there's a high possibility of it being Parker."


	18. Reluctance

**Disclaimer: **Like many things in life, I do not own, profit or affiliate with Bones and Fox - although if Hart Hanson or media producers at Fix were to stuff a little ownership into my stocking tonight, I wouldn't complain. Just saying. 

**A/N: **After weeks of writers block and pushing through this one sentence at a time, this finally came to me yesterday and I wrote the 2000 words to complete the 300 I already had. It's longer than what I usually have, but then again after the hiatus you've been put through, I thought you all deserved a treat.

Reviews are greatly appreciated and will help in making Booth travel around the world and fill all your stockings with goodness and joy.

_Merry Christmas, everyone!_

* * *

**Reluctance**

_"They've recovered the body of a little boy…" She told him, her voice trailing off. She eyed him warily afraid of the reaction her next statement would bring, "They feel there's a high possibility of it being Parker."_

**-o-o-o-**

"Parker?" Worry and confusion instantly kicked in as he repeated the name of his son.

"I'm sorry, Booth." Not knowing how to react, Brennan found the hated words to be the only thing that would spill from her lips.

"Parker." This time when he said the eight year old's name, it was filled with parental panic and dread. Flipping the switch of his siren, he started the engine of the SUV and crossed back onto the road and started to roar up the open highway.

"Cam has collected everything from the crime scene, so we'll need to head straight to the lab." She informed him. Looking over to see his reaction, she noticed his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that the knuckles were starting to turn white. "M-maybe we should go to your apartment first, see if the school left a message on your answering machine."

"Why wouldn't they just call my cell? Or Rebecca? Why didn't Rebecca at least call me?" Slamming his fist against the steering wheel, Booth swore under his breath as his jerked around to face his partner. "Why, Bones? Why wouldn't anyone call? He's my _son_ for Christ sake!"

"I don't know, Booth. I really don't know." Her voice had an edge. She knew he had the right to be angry, but she felt as if his anger was turning on her and she couldn't help but bite back.

"You don't have a message from the school do you? You are Parker's emergency contact after all." Desperation now filled his voice. His turn of emotions was startling even to himself, but he didn't know how to feel or how to control what was churning just below the surface.

"No, I don't."

"Shit." Again the tides had changed for Booth as tears now threatened to spill. With the wave of emotions, neither had realised the increase in speed as Booth stepped again on the accelerator, the lights and siren of the SUV blaring into the darkened night as they continued on their way back in DC.

**o0o**

They arrived back in Washington in about half the time it had taken to drive to Shenandoah National Park and by the time Booth and Brennan arrived at Rebecca's suburban home, both felt exhausted but far too anxious to be tired.

Having stopped by his apartment first, Booth could feel a lump forming in his throat as he pressed the button on his ex's answering machine for what would be the same message as what was left on his home phone.

"_Ms. Stinson, its Megan Norris from Montgomery Elementary School. During our morning briefing with the children, Parker and another child were unaccounted for. After searching for your missing son, we… we found a set of remains. Parker's backpack was found with them." _

Slamming his fist down on the machine, Booth scrubbed a hand over his face. With a shake of his head, he stepped into the lounge room and noticed Brennan in his peripheral vision standing in the kitchen.

"Why isn't she answering her phone, Bones?" Sighing, Booth dropped into one of the armchairs. "Bec wouldn't just go missing. Something's happened to her, Bones, something's happened to her and Parker."

"Maybe yes, maybe no." Walking into the lounge, she could see the pain in his eyes, the sadness in his slouch and the anger in his jaw. "Objectively, it looks Rebecca has simply disappeared. But without such evidence, we can't draw on those conclusions. You, as an FBI agent should know that."

"This is my son we're talking about!" Tears welled in his eyes as he tried to keep the anger from his voice. "He's eight years old."

"I know and I'm sorry that Parker is missing. I'm sorry that there is an unidentified child in my lab, but _I_ am a scientist, Booth, and it's my job to look at all possibilities, all outcomes." Stepping over to him, her spite started to boil below the surface as she poked at his chest. "You, as a parent, can look at this two ways; the first, you wallow in self-pity and anger, but if you choose this, I won't have you in my lab. You'll be like every other grieving parent as they wait for the evidentiary conclusions. The second outcome, you be an FBI agent. You be who you are and look at this from an objective standpoint. Whichever you choose, you have to let me do my job."

"Fine." Meeting her intense stare for a brief moment, he recoiled from her ultimatum. "But you better find my son."

"I will, Booth." Dropping her eyes to the hallway, a sudden thought came to the anthropologist. "Where's Parker's bedroom?"

"Why?"

"If this turns out to be a preplanned trip, maybe Rebecca packed some of Parker's clothes and toys." Her arising statement had Booth skirting into the hallway and down the past closed doorways until he reached the last door on his right. Turning the knob and letting the door swing open, both treaded into the bedroom calmly but with trepidation.

The floorboards turned into light blue carpet, the cream walls turned grey with a wallpaper border of racing cars a feature. Two photos sat on a dresser, one of Parker and his mother, the other of Parker and his father. The single bed was made with a Philadelphia Flyers comforter and pillow. A stray hot wheels car sat in the middle of the room on the floor was the only thing out of place.

"His room hasn't been touched." Brennan commented softly.

"Bec makes him clean his room before dinner each night and she makes his bed every morning before she drops him off at school. He left Friday morning, it's now Sunday night." Thinking through each small detail, Booth tried to work the things that weren't making much sense out.

"I noticed as you were leading us to Parker's room that the bathroom door was opened and the cupboard had been rummaged through, a pack of tampons were lying on the floor." Brennan shrugged as she noticed Booth cringe. "Maybe I should keep my tampons hidden when you come around."

"Can we _not_ talk about your feminine products?" Cutting her off as she was about to argue, Booth's eyes widened at a sudden thought. Like he had done just before - but at a much faster pace - Booth nearly ran from his son's bedroom and down into Rebecca's at the other end of the hallway.

When Brennan finally reached him, he was searching the bedroom, going through drawers and lifting things out of cupboards before returning them to their rightful places.

"What?" She asked puzzled, a hand on her hip. "And, Booth." She briefly paused, watching as he glanced briefly up to her in acknowledgment. "You should be wearing gloves."

"Half of Brent's clothes are misplaced. Whatever happened he went with her." He answered closing the nightstand he was currently searching through, trying to find a clue as to their whereabouts. At this moment in time, he was more concerned out the whereabouts of Rebecca and with his mind off Parker; Brennan couldn't help but sigh with relief.

"Booth, call it in. Get another agent to go over this with a fine toothed comb. You need to step back before you work yourself into a cationic state."

"Don't." His voice took a deeper edge as he whispered. "Don't do this, Bones."

"I have to. Now give me your keys." She ordered, extending her right hand.

"No." Standing his ground, he decided at that moment he would argue if he had to. He would lash out if needed and he would beg for mercy if things became desperate.

"Keys, now." The demand in her voice was evident as Booth finally caved after several minutes of forceful staring. "You can call this in while I'm driving."

Handing the keys over, Booth slumped from the room with Brennan quickly following as they made their way to the front door.

**o0o**

Brennan wasn't too surprised when they entered the Medico-Legal Lab to find the platform and its surrounds abuzz with people in blue lab coats. Somehow, unbeknown to her, Dr. Saroyan had managed to wrangle many people into staying late, all hoping to find a piece of crucial evidence to identify the mangled body lying on the stainless steel autopsy table.

"Dr. Brennan." The head honcho called from the platform as the anthropologist and agent made their way past. Both were hoping to get into Brennan's office undetected. "Come straight up to the platform, I've had Gary in security turn off the sensors so you don't need your ID."

Catching the look on Booth's face, Brennan nodded and politely smiled. "I do however need my lab coat. Booth and I will just be a minute." Wrapping her arm around his bicep, Brennan led her partner into her darkened office.

Switching the light on, Brennan slipped into her coat and took another look over at Booth who had sunk onto her couch, his eyes closing upon his head coming in contact with the arm rest.

"Booth." Her voice was gentle as his eyes popped open and he pulled his body into a half sitting position. "I know you would prefer to be 'doing your thing', but I can't have you hovering on the platform. I need to be objective in determining the identity of the remains. If you could - and when you're up to it - make a list of both positive and negative things that can help us in ruling Parker out of the equation."

She watched as Booth stood and moved across the room, dropping in her desk chair and pulling a piece of paper from the drawer and a pen from the holder.

As she was about to step from her office, she turned back. "And Booth, I love him as well. We all do."

**o0o**

Stepping onto the platform and gloving her hands, Brennan quickly moved over to the set of remains. As she ran a hand over the now de-fleshed bones, her eyebrows raised as a shadow came into her line of sight. Looking up, she noticed Cam standing before her, her arms crossed against her chest and the sudden disappearance of people on the platform had her feeling like the teenager she was when told she had to pack up and leave the foster family she had just grown to tolerate.

"Yes, Dr. Saroyan?" She asked pausing her movements.

Pursing her lips together, Cam chose her words carefully. "I saw the way you were with Booth before, are you sure you can handle this case?"

"I am excellent at compartmentalizing. Are you able to handle this case, Dr. Saroyan? You did have a sexual relationship with Booth after all." Rolling her eyes with a half-laugh, Brennan moved around the body to the other side, making sure the pathologist stepped back as she examined the right humorous.

"You and Booth have become closer over the past couple of weeks; you have emotional ties to this case. If need be, I will forcibly have you removed and one of the interns will take over. I'm serious Dr. Brennan, I will have you revoked."

"Before you even arrived, I identified my own mother - as a murder victim. I also identified the man my father killed. I am the best in my field, and if you want to give Booth the rightful answers, you will let me do my job to the best of my capabilities." Her voice changed from clinical to angry, her voice slowly rising as her temper began to heighten.

"Have it your way then Dr. Brennan, although if need be, I will have you removed." Uncrossing her arms, Cam turned and with her four inch Jimmy Choo's clacking on the floor, she descended from the platform.

"Way to go, Bren." Angela whistled as she skipped onto the platform, her sketch book in hand.

"How long will it take you for a reconstruction?" Brennan asked, not bothering to look up from the set of remains she was now immersed in.

"I can do a rough sketch now, but for a proper ID a couple of hours." Sidling up to her friend, Angela leaned over the skull, her face saddening by the second.

"I would like to inspect the skull before you take possession." Pausing, Brennan lifted her head and looked at the artist. "I'll have it to you by morning, with tissue markers. Could…" Pausing again, she noticed Booth pacing in her office; although the blinds obscured her view, she could tell he was on the phone.

"Could?" Angela hedged, snapping her fingers in Brennan's face.

"Oh, yes. Could you go get a cup of coffee for Booth and maybe keep him company for a few hours while I finish my preliminaries?" Chewing at her bottom lip, Brennan waited anxiously for the response.

"Of course, sweetie. You know I'd do anything." Moving to give her friend a side hug, Angela kissed Brennan's cheek before leaving the platform in the direction she came. Thought none of them realized it, Angela would become the pillar of support for everyone in their desperate time of need.


	19. Survival

**A/N: This chapter has been unbeta'ed but I have gone over it and fixed some things up, so if there are any mistakes, they're mine and mine only. Mali Bear's Buddy has been unwell as of late and I hope you do feel well soon, sweetie. **

* * *

**Survival**

As the hours wore on, little headway was made in the sad identification of the small child lying before them. Each held their own set of doubts, reservations. Though no one could voice their mind-swirling beliefs, they all held little to no hope towards the deceased as evidence piled into the conclusion that the body was indeed that of Parker Booth.

For Booth himself his emotions varied. Anger. Pain. Numbness. Guilt. He spent hours fighting with everyone - including Brennan - before he came to realise they were just trying to help. The final straw came when Lance Sweets finally strolled into the Jeffersonian - _many phone calls later_ - and headed straight into Brennan's office. Everyone heard Booth's outbursts, but it was only Sweets and Brennan who heard his cries.

"How is Booth really?" Cam asked once she and Brennan were sectioned off in the corner of the forensic anthropologist's office, away from prying eyes and ears.

"I think he blames himself. I don't know how Booth could have stopped this happening, but he somehow feels responsible." Her hushed voice was just above a whisper as she took in the sight of a now sleeping Booth who had finally crumbled from the tiredness and stress he was enduring. Excusing herself from Cam for a moment, she walked over to the couch and draped a blanket over Booth's body. Leaning down she kissed his forehead before returning back to where Cam was standing.

"After the upbringing Seeley had, he promised himself that he would devote his life to his children." Cam said, resuming their conversation. "If this is Parker, which I cannot say without your expertise, he will need all of us, you especially, Dr. Brennan."

"All the evidence suggests its Parker; the restoration from a broken left ulna, the dentition, age and race. The only reason we can't rule him out is because we're legally not allowed to contact his dental physician until dawn breaks and office hours are open." Looking back over to Booth, Brennan crossed her arms across her chest and let the first of many tears slide down her cheeks as she grieved for her partner and his broken heart.

**o0o**

The next time Booth woke, he found two worried blue eyes staring down at him, her hand resting above his heart. Although his sleep was filled with distraught images of his son, he finally felt at peace over the ordeal and his sickening feeling had evaporated along with the exhaustion. The way her teeth dragged her bottom lip between them had him instantly apprehensive, distressed.

"W-what?" His lip quivered as he spoke, the folds in his forehead creasing.

Fighting back tears, she sighed heavily. She wasn't used to such emotions, she didn't like such emotions. Temperance Brennan was in control of her life, in control of her thoughts and feelings. Yet, whenever she was around him, it all ceased to exist. He had the power to allow her to be free, to be her true self. She was no longer Dr. Brennan, she was Temperance. He allowed her to listen to jazz music and he would tease her over her tastes of beer and wine. He didn't care about her wealth and stardom; he, unlike many, saw her for who she is, the shy fifteen year old who was abandoned at Christmas.

Pressing her eyes together, she again sighed heavily before reopening the glistening baby blues. "Angela's finished the facial reconstruction and we've confirmed with dentals."

"Oh god." She watched as Booth pulled himself into a slouched sitting position, his hand collapsing into his hands. "It can't be, Parker. Not my little boy."

"It's not, Booth. It's not him." She whispered, reaching out to brush her knuckles over the two day growth along his jaw line.

Lifting his head, he looked to her with tear stained eyes. "What?"

"The body isn't Parker. The other little boy, Lincoln Malone, had a similar break in his ulna at age five. His parents provided his dental records around an hour ago; we've just been able to confirm the news." As he leaned into her touch, she moved her hand to cup his cheek, her thumb collecting the moisture from under his eye as they exchanged sad smiles. "Agent Perotta will be here soon. Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah." He nodded, a tear slipping from the corner of his warm browns. "Thank-you."

"For what?"

"Being you." Watching as she rolled her eyes, he gave a small laugh. "I love you."

"I know." Through her own tears, she smiled.

Leaning towards each other their lips met. The kiss wasn't full of passion like it had been in previous embraces; it wasn't hot and heavy. It was a simply touch of the lips that was filled with the desperation and guilt, hope and faith.

"Angela's going to take you back to your apartment. You can shower, change and eat something." Brennan explained when their lips broke apart.

"Parker's out there still." The pain was resurfacing for Booth when he spoke of his son's name; his nine year old son, who had the hair of his mother and the face and personality of him.

"Cullen has three FBI search teams looking for him. They will find him, Booth, I can promise you that." Leaning forward once more, Brennan sealed her lips over his as both shed a fresh set of tears in hope that the little boy they both love and adore is found safe and alive.

**o0o**

The cool spring wind whipped across his face as he shivered against the wall of the cave he had taken shelter in. He was scared, alone and cold. He never wanted to leave the warmth of his bed, but Lincoln had wanted to explore the woods they weren't allowed to venture into. He'd been camping before, so stuffing his flashlight into his backpack, adding another pair of socks to his feet and another jumper to his back, Parker decided he'd tag along to use the knowledge his father had given him in helping them survive the night. But somewhere along the way, everything went wrong. The boys had argued; Parker wanted to return to camp, while Lincoln wanted to continue on his exploration. Shoving his backpack into his friend's chest, Parker grabbed his flashlight from the ground and headed back in the direction they came, leaving his friend on his own.

The flashlight didn't last long and before he knew it, he was surrounded in darkness, the moon the only source of light. It was then that he stumbled upon the cave. Shivering, he huddled himself into a small ball and allowed his eyes to drift closed, hoping by morning that someone, anyone, would come looking for him and lead him home, because that's all he wanted as his last cognate thoughts left his head - he wanted to be home, in his own bed with his father watching protectively over him.

**o0o**

Turning the hot stream of water off at the faucet, Booth stepped from the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. With another towel, he rubbed the terrycloth through his hair and down over his arms and chest, chucking it back over the towel rail before padding into his bedroom. Changing into a pair of tracksuit pants and long sleeved flannelette shirt, Booth moved from his bedroom and out into kitchen where Angela was pottering around cooking him a meal and brewing a cup of coffee.

"Thanks, Ange." Booth thanked the artist when she proffered a cup of coffee in his direction. His lips met the ceramic within seconds of being handed the steaming liquid and a satisfactory sigh emitted when he sat the coffee down at the high table.

"I hope you like Eggs Benedict, because that's what you're getting." Angela laughed, her voice carrying over her shoulder as she focused on the dish in front of her.

"Again, thanks Angela. You really didn't have to." Giving her an apologetic smile, Booth took another sip of his coffee.

"Yes, I do. If I weren't here you wouldn't probably eat; that or you'd eat the growing Chinese that I found in the back of your fridge." Reaching for a plate in the top cupboard, Angela filled two plates with English muffins, bacon, eggs and hollandaise sauce before sprinkling a small amount of finely chopped chives over the top and resting some grilled tomatoes next to the concoction.

"My dad used to make this every Sunday morning before he left for the studio. Not very Texan, but I love it." Slicing into a tomato, Angela spoke freely of her much kept childhood. Flicking her eyes to Booth she noticed him nod in understanding before shoveling the red fruit into her mouth and savoring the taste as Booth did the same.

**o0o**

Another rippling shiver ran the length of his body. His teeth chattered and he'd lost feeling in his legs, but Parker was adamant on trying to seal himself away from the cold. He could hear noises in the distance, but his brain wouldn't function enough to determine what was happening in his surrounds.

"PARKER!" A voice was nearing, shouting the name of the missing boy.

"PARKER!" Another voice spiraled into the distance, catching on a nearby valley and echoing into the into the surrounding trees and fronds.

"PARKER!" This voice was closer and Parker could only just make out what the voice was carrying - his name. They were looking for him. They were coming to get him. To take him home. "PARKER!"

"I'm in here! It's me, Parker!" He shouted as much as his lungs would allow. Swallowing fresh air, he chocked. Trying to regain a steady rhythm of breathing in the cold air, the last thing he remembered was the feeling of something warm around him as he drifted into darkness.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I'm here. We'll get you out soon." The voice soothed and stroked the blonde tumbles of curls as another FBI rescuer rushed in to help.

**o0o**

"Dr. Brennan, do we have cause of death?" Agent Payton Perotta asked as she gained access to the platform in the Medico-Legal Lab of the Jeffersonian.

"Yes." Stripping the gloves from her hands, Brennan dropped them in a waste disposal bin. "Bite marks on the body suggest Ursus Americanus."

"American black bear." Camille Saroyan translated as she stepped onto the platform after the FBI Agent. Tucking her ID card into the belt of her pencil skirt, she clasped her hands together in front of her body. "Dr. Brennan, they've found Parker."


	20. Truth

**A/N: **Big hugs and kisses to jsiebert, who acted as my beta for this chapter. This chapter would probably still be sitting in my work document if it hadn't been for her. I sent her the first draft this morning and I got her final edits tonight.

I've sort of fast tracked this chapter and the next because I _do _want to get back on track in the lead up to Brennan's birthday and I do want to get back to the "M" rating, so keep an eye out for some hot and steamy in the next chapter.

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, Santa didn't leave the right to Bones in my stocking this year, so like all others, I don't own or associate with Hart, ED, DB and the rest of the cast and production crews. *Tear*

Reviews make the heart grow fonder, so do my heart a favour and take the time to review. I mean, if you take the time to read the chapter you should be kind enough to leave a review, maybe? Please.

* * *

**Truth**

Until they reached the small room where his little body was laying, Booth felt as if he hadn't taken a breath of fresh air. Though when he entered, that breath of air felt stale upon seeing him. Parker's face looked ghostly against the white pillow, the white sheets, the white blanket, the white bed, the white machines, the white tiles and the white, white walls.

Booth felt the pull towards his son, but between his brain and his feet, he couldn't move. He felt stumped in the position, scared that his son was breakable against the contact of his father.

Noticing, Brennan stepped up beside him. "He has mild hypothermia. The nurses are regulating heat blankets to keep him warm and to stabilize his body temperature. Warm fluids are also being pushed through his body to warm his internal organs which will help in raising his temperature. He'll wake when his body is back to its usual self. For now, it's best that he isn't subjected to such extremes, so they've placed him under sedation." She explained in simple terms so he would understand. She knew by the look on his face when the doctors were explaining that it went straight over his head, so he needed this explanation, he needed her to explain it all to him.

"I finally reached Rebecca. Her father's just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; she wanted to be with him. She's now on the first flight home." He whispered, still hesitating to reach out to his son. "Hold his hand, Booth. You'll be the first person he wants to see when he finally wakes." She said, shifting a chair under his backside so he could sit.

"I was so worried about you, bub," he whispered. Reaching his spare hand out, Booth stroked the golden blonde curls, tears escaping from the corner of his eyes; they weren't out of sadness, they were out of relief. Relief his little boy was okay and knowing he would fight through the troubled times ahead.

"You had me scared. I thought you were gone. The thought of never seeing your face light up while you smile and when you laugh, made me sad. You're my little boy, Parker and I love you, I love you with all my heart," taking a deep breath through the tears and exhaling, Booth shook his head nonplussed. "I don't know what happened with you and Lincoln, but I'm glad you're alright…, and that you're safe."

"When you're out of hospital, I'm going to take you to the next game I can get tickets for us to attend. We'll sit in the stands, watch the Phillies and eat corndogs with lots of ketchup, your favorite. I'm going to buy you that new game you wanted for your DS, maybe I'll even buy you a game for the Wii, who knows. You are worth my every penny and I would much rather have no money because I spent it all on you, than not have you in my life."

"You were named after a guy that died in my arms; he fought a battle, just like you fighting your own. He was young, enthusiastic and didn't listen to me, just like you. Theodore Parker was his name, Teddy to all those who knew him. Deep down, he was like a teddy, soft and reassuring. Again, this reminds me of you, though, when you're asleep. You're always named after your grandfather, my dad. There's a story in itself, but for what you need to know, he was a great father most of the time. So my dad, you, me, and Pops, all share the same middle name, Joseph."

As Booth talked, the tears dried and all else in the room became lost. Nurses came in and out, checking Parker's vitals changing the warm blankets on his bed and slowly, but surely easing off on the sedation. Although it was all happening around him, Booth was too immersed in his son to realize the comings and goings. Nor did realize when a bed was set up in the room for him to stay in during the night. Brennan knew however, he wouldn't sleep on the bed; he'd stay in the plastic chair, holding Parker's hand and stroking his fingers through the loose curls toppling his head. She kicked off her heels, discarded her jacket and wholeheartedly slipped under the blankets where sleep was a given. Booth was still talking to Parker in a whisper; she was lulled into a peaceful sleep.

**-BB-**

Booth didn't become aware of it until the smell of freshly made coffee had him opening his eyes that at sometime during the night he'd drifted off into his own soundless slumber. Offering a cup in his direction, Brennan smiled sweetly when he accepted the cup, sniffing at the brown liquid before taking a tedious sip.

"Strong black, two sugars, dash and a half of milk," Brennan recited before taking a sip of her own coffee. "I went home to shower and change. I thought you'd want some decent coffee, so I stopped by the Diner…" Pausing, she grabbed a brown paper bag from the side cart. "I also bought breakfast. I hope an Egg and Bacon croissant is satisfactory."

"You didn't happen to stop by my place and get my pills did you?" He asked with a raised eyebrow before taking another sip from his coffee. "My back's killing me after last night."

Pressing her lips together in a smirk, Brennan kicked the duffel bag at her feet. "Your medication and some clean clothes… I also grabbed some pajamas for Parker to change into once he's regained consciousness."

At that moment before Booth could respond, Parker let out a long groan. His eyes opened into shallow slits and his head lolled from side to side, as he tried to re-orientate himself.

"Parker," as he heard his son Booth shot back over to the bed and let one hand wrap around a smaller one as the other ran seamlessly over Parker's blonde locks.

"I'll go get a nurse," Brennan said to thin air as she moved from the small hospital room and out and over to the nurses' station.

"Park," watching as Parker's eyes opened - like a butterfly spreading its wings for the first time - and a loud groan escape his lips, Booth felt relief.

"D-dad," His voice was raspy and dry. His throat hurt to talk and his body still felt cold all over. However, Parker was relieved to see his father's worried eyes looking back at him and his fingers threading through his curls.

"Parker."

"L-Linc." His eyes filled with guilt at the mention of his friend. The need of reassurance crossing his creased forehead and Booth lightly shook his head. Tears welled before swimming their way free from Parker's brown eyes, his face screwing up as he let them flow. "What have I done, Dad? What have I done?"

"None of this is your fault, bub, none of it." The more Booth tried to comfort, the harder the sobs came.

Feeling helpless, Booth did the one thing he could think of. Releasing the side bars on the hospital bed, he sat on the side, bought Parker into his chest and let the little boy cry. Their tears mixed together as they fell, but somehow the warmth of his father's hold slowly allowed Parker's tears to subside. The grip of Booth's t-shirt became tighter, the small knuckles becoming whiter, but the tears had stopped.

Having witnessed the account, Brennan and the Doctor who had come to check over Parker stood back, out of the way of the father and son duo. They watched as eventually Parker's hand slipped from his father's chest and when Booth eventually lowered Parker back onto the pillow and swept his blonde curls away from his face.

"I'm going to call Sweets." Booth finally said as he stepped away from the bed, his face taunt.

As he stepped over to Brennan, she impulsively wrapped her arms around him. It was then, that another onset of tears fell from Booth's eyes as this time, instead of mixing with his son's the tears were mixed with his girlfriend's tears. The pain and the guilt washing from their faces as they stood silently, the only noise their sobs echoing around the small room.

"I love you." She whispered once they'd separated but held each other close. "It's this to make me realize, just how much I love you."

This time their tears weren't like the ones previously, these tears were about love and desperation, hope and fear. They were the tears of a new beginning and as their lips fused together in a kiss that would mean so much, the doctor who had been in the room, wordlessly walked away.


	21. Unadulterated

**A/N: **_Here we are back at that "M" rating. I know, I know, I know, we haven't been back to this in a while, but I branched out into other avenues, but now - I'm back, baby! A continuous big thanks to jsiebert, who took the time to edit this for me - I am forever grateful._

_Hopefully this little chapter will bring up some more reviews that I always anticipate. _

_Read, and enjoy.

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**Unadulterated **

The two weeks following Parker's stay in hospital had been filled with recovery and bits and pieces of the truth. After spending another three days at George Washington University Medical Centre once he had woken, Parker was now home, recuperating and finally making sense of the world, all over again. On week days he would spend his time at Rebecca's where she'd taken a leave of absence so that she could care for her son. On the weekends - like this - he would stay at his father's, where they'd sit around and do nothing. However, on the odd occasion Brennan would banish them from all electronics and have them shower and change before they all headed out into the spring morning or afternoon.

"Bones, where are we going?" Parker chirped from the backseat of her 2009 Honda Civic Hatchback.

"We are going to The Diner for breakfast and then I thought maybe you and your Dad could check out the Ancient Egypt exhibit the Jeffersonian is currently hosting on the second floor." Glancing in the rearview mirror, she noted the ecstatic look covering Parker's face and a fist pump that nearly ended in knuckles colliding with the velvet of the interior roofing.

"Why just me and Parker?" Booth whispered once he saw that Parker had become immersed in the Ancient Egypt brochure that Brennan had handed to him, her sole focus now on the role.

"Because," Drawing the word out, Brennan glanced over to her friend, her boyfriend, her life-partner. "I need you to take Parker to Max, while I set up our own special exhibit in my office."

Raising a mischievous eyebrow and let a cocky smirk race across his lips, Booth sat back in the passenger seat of the car and crossed his arms over his chest, "I see how it is."

Sighing, Brennan turned into the right hand lane so she could turn the corner. "It's been nearly a month, Booth. I'm surprised you've lasted this long."

"Cold showers come in handy." He acknowledged with a hearty chuckle as Brennan screwed up her nose and let out a frustrated sigh. Apparently she obviously hadn't received the same memo as he had.

**-BB-**

Their breakfast consisted of an hour's worth of laughing and pancakes. The traditional doings of a family; though this one was much more unconventional.

Parker was bustling - as were the adults - when they arrived at the Jeffersonian. Parker spotted one of his friends from tee-ball, and quickly joined him while promising to find "Grandpa" Max on his travels. To make sure, Booth went in search of the old codger himself, so he knew ahead of time that Parker was with a friend.

All in all, this gave Brennan plenty of time to prepare her office, thanks to the help of Angela who had left some romantic supplies in there the previous day.

"Bones." Booth called as his knuckles lightly tapped on the glass door of her office. The blinds had been drawn and he couldn't hear any movement from inside. "Bones, baby."

"Come in, and don't call me baby." She warned as the door creaked open and Booth stepped inside.

After closing the door behind him and letting his eyes readjust to the dim light, a smile spread across Booth's features and even lit up his irresistible warm brown eyes. As the smile crept greater on his lips, Booth kicked off his sneakers and dropped his leather jacket on the ground with a soft plonk. His steps where light as he moved and he couldn't help but gaze at her, her blue eyes illuminate against the shadows casting from pieces of furniture gathered here and there.

The office had been transformed. The coffee table was shoved up against the far wall and her sofa was pushed back to allow a white plush rug to sit in the center of the room. Fairy lights were turned on and over the walls and bookcases as soft-tuned music gentle sounded from the CD player on her desk. But the main attraction wasn't the room set-up, it wasn't the occasion, it was the brunette who was kneeling on the rug, her shoulders pushed back, her hair in loose curls, staring lustfully up his body.

Shedding his t-shirt, Booth dropped to his knees, his fingers dusting the curls from her shoulders and cupping her face. As he placed a delicate kiss to her lips, Brennan traced lazy circles on back, the bumps from old war-wounds still perceptible under her nimble fingertips.

"You look beautiful." He whispered into her ear before placing a kiss under the lobe, her dangling earrings already having been removed.

"Mmm!" She purred in response. Her hands had travelled from his back to his stomach, inching their way down the plains of his abdominals until a soft click informed them both that the latch of his "cocky" belt buckle had been popped open. "I'm not going to have sex with you."

I know." He kissed to top of her nose as he answered, one hand running across the down the strap of her bra. "I distinctly remember promising you that our first time would be on your birthday."

Smiling shyly up to him she pressed her lips to his, their eyes closing when their mouths melded together. There wasn't a fight for dominance; each knew their boundaries and how far to push them. They let the kiss be long and languid. They made love with their mouths since their bodies couldn't. They took an appreciation of the simpler things when loving another person. They showed to each other, what love really meant. It was there silent promise to be together for the next thirty, or forty, or fifty years.

"When I first saw you just now…" His voice trailed off as he felt fingers hooking in his jeans and boxers, lowing them both down his thighs. If they were going to go any further they'd need to disentangle Booth didn't want to move away from the intimate moment they were sharing in fear that when he'd return, the passion would fizzle.

"When I first saw you…" Brennan nudged, needing to here the rest of what he was going to say. Although she'd removed his jeans and boxers and his erection was standing eager and tall, she needed to hear his words; she needed the confidence to keep doing what she was doing.

"When I first saw you just now, all I could see was how beautiful you truly are. The blue bra and panties against your milky white skin and silky brown hair…" Nipping at the tops of her breasts, the silk and lace rubbed against his jaw line, the friction becoming more erotic as his moved from her cleavage to suck on the erect buds of her nipples.

She let out a moan, her eyes rolling back in her head as she felt her body shudder. Rocking her hips against his, she muffled a cry as his cock slid up along her swollen slit and rubbed against her clit. An exhilarating sensation overcame her as she felt an orgasm starting to peak. She could feel it brimming on the edge but not ready to take an almighty leap off the end and ripple through her.

"B-Booth." This time she didn't bother to weaken the cry by biting into his shoulder.

"Fuck, baby." He whispered hoarsely, slipping a finger inside her panties to stroke her clit. "You're gonna… have to… keep the panties on… if we're… gonna make… it another two weeks." He said between flicks of her nub, her body clenching and un-clenching around his fingers as they too worked in a pumping motion in and out of her nether regions.

"Booth!" The drawing out of the single word had Brennan shattering like a piece of glass dropped on a tiled floor. As Booth continued to dart in and out of her quaking vagina, Brennan ground her hips in a rocking motion trying her best to get the long overdue orgasm that her vibrator had no settings to achieve this level of bliss.

As soon as the first orgasm was over, a second built quickly and within minutes she was screaming his name in ecstasy and pain all over again. Stars formed in front of her eyes as a rush of blood and color coursed through her limp body. Circling her swollen clit with his thumb, Booth pressed down hard once, twice, a third time before bringing his hand out and sucking on his fingers, long and slow drawing out the sensation as his other hand supported her back from collapsing.

As her breath regulated, Booth gently laid them now on the rug, Brennan snuggling into his chest as her eyes fluttered closed. Although his cock was still rock hard, he didn't care. Brennan needed this release more than him, he could see it over the past week in her eyes but Parker was his main priority. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he felt her snuggle in closer and as he closed to eyes to join her in her sleep he heard her mutter her final words before slipping into the dreamy, peaceful sleep he too was about to rapidly enter the first phase of a well-needed long sleep period.

"I love you."


	22. Vicarious

**A/N: **Yes, it is time for another chapter, V! It's only now that I realise we've only got 4 more chapters after this until the end, *tear*. I've going to be sad to see this end, especially since it's played a major part in my life for the last 8 months, and still counting.

_Disclaimer: _I still don't own Bones, so this is all part of my figurative imagination. What a shame. Such is life.

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**Vicarious **

The next time either fully woke and not in a sleep-ridden haze, all was silent. No noise from the Ancient Egypt exhibit down the corridor and no noise from outside on the platform. Sometime during their siesta, Booth had draped the blanket from Brennan's couch over them to keep them warm and comfortable before slipping back into a much needed sleep, his partner cuddled in beside him.

"Afternoon, sunshine." Booth said by way of greeting as two sleep-ridden eyes popped open and looked up to him. Dropping a kiss to the tip of her nose, he watched as her face scrunched up. "Sleep well?"

Yawning, Brennan scrubbed a hand over her eyes before answering. "After my long overdue orgasm, yes."

"Good." Smiling, he went to plant another kiss to her nose when she angled her head up and their lips met and joined together. Booth slipped his tongue languidly into Brennan's mouth and she instantly depended the kiss.

With his girlfriend clearly in control of their tennis match of open mouthed kisses, Booth rolled onto his back. Taking full advantage of the situation, Brennan straddled his hips and made sure her fabric covered breasts rubbed purposefully against his chest, the friction meaning to arouse the both of them.

And it did. Whimpering against his mouth, Brennan squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh God."

"You can say that again." Groaning as she began grinding her hips into his groin and arousing him even more, Booth fumbled with the small catches that held her bra together.

With their arousals fuelling their desire, neither allowed their more sensible minds to react to the happenings. In the short space of time, the only pieces of clothing which separated them from doing the deed on Brennan's office floor was their underwear. And if it were any indication, it would happen, even if they had agreed to wait until the anthropologist's birthday.

"Screw it." Booth cursed as he flipped them over, his hand already reaching for the hemline of Brennan's mint green panties.

"Oh good god." A voice interrupted them and like anyone caught in the act, they froze. Booth's hand still down the inside of Brennan's panties and in return Brennan's hand had managed to wrap around Booth's erect cock.

"Camille." Through grounded teeth, Booth didn't dare to look up to face his friend. Instead he tried to shield the curve of his partner's breasts from the pathologist.

"I've just had a very lengthy and interesting phone call with the security team." Trying not to laugh, Cam took two long deep breaths, her composure only just intact afterwards.

"Security cameras, really?" Booth hissed into Brennan's ear.

"My office is the only one without cameras." Biting her lip, Brennan turned to see the Pathologist shaking her head.

"You have a notice in your inbox stating that security cameras were being installed, Dr. Brennan." Taking another two deep breaths in and repeating the breathing exercise, Cam crossed her arms over her chest. "A request from _way_ up the food chain, might I add."

As Cam kept talking, Brennan struggled into her blouse, her bra forgotten for the moment while Booth shucked into his jeans and zipped them back in place but not before catching his fingers in the metal teeth. No once, but three times.

As the last of their clothes was settled into place, each gave the other a guilty look. Though, Brennan blushed when Booth leaned in and softly kissed her temple before standing, his back cracking in numerous places as he stretched.

"Good, god." Cam repeated as her ramblings stopped upon the sound of bone cracking against bone.

"I agree." Concern etched into Brennan's features as she watched Booth continue to roll out the kinks of lying on an uncomfortable floor. His body persisted to reject the movements with loud cracking sounds that would wake even the dead. Though Brennan would refute the statement considerably.

"I shouldn't have fallen asleep on the ground, that's all. I'll pop a couple pills and I'll be good to go." Trying his best to diminish the worry on both Brennan and Cam's face he added in one of his charm smiles that Brennan liked so very much. One of the many things that she had come to define as _Booth-y._

"As you become older, arthritis will set into your joints if you continue to crack them like you are now." As a thundering crack came from his jaw, Brennan flinched ever so slightly.

"Well that too can join all my other injuries." Giving her a knowing look, Booth sighed. She wasn't a heart person, however the small amount of her heart she had already given him, was what made him take everything she said that little bit more seriously. He would play the tough guy on the outside, but on the inside he'd let her sweetened words sink in.

"Where's Parker? The exhibit must have ended some time ago." Brennan asked out of curiosity.

"Your dad took him for ice-cream around an hour ago." Cam replied with a laugh and an eye roll. "He said something about heading to back to your apartment afterwards, Dr. Brennan."

"What's the time?" Booth asked, confusing clouding his mind.

"A little after 5PM." Cam answered with a glance at her watch.

"Shit." Cursing, Booth felt for his keys in each pocket. Upon finding them, he threw them up in the air and caught them again on the downward pull, like he would with his poker chip. "We got here, at what, eleven o'clock and now it's after five. How long did we sleep for?"

"I would estimate four or so hours." Brennan declared with her kooky smile. A smile that seemed to brighten even the dullest of room.

"Whatever." This time it was Booth who rolled his eyes. "How about we grab some take-out on the way back to your apartment, Bones? Parker deserves it after I ditched him all day and I'm sure your dad could use a beer, or two."

"That sounds satisfactory." Grabbing a spare coat from her coat rack in the corner of her office, she slipped it on.

"Have a good night you two." Cam laughed as she sauntered from Brennan's office, her soft laughter trailing after her as her heels clicked against the slate flooring and echoed throughout the entire Medico-Legal Lab.

**-BB-**

"Dad! Bones!" Parker Booth exclaimed heavily as both entered the apartment. Knocking the game of Battleships over and upside down as he jumped from his spot on the floor, Parker raced over his father, nearly knocking the take-out bags from his hands.

"Careful." Booth laughed, placing the bags of food onto the table and embracing his son in a big, warm hug.

"Did you catch the bad guy?" Glancing between the partners, Parker looked on with curiosity.

"Yeah, we did." Catching a glimpse of Max over Booth's shoulder, he knew instantly that a story had been cooked for Parker over the reasoning of his sudden disappearing all afternoon.

Having watched the father and son moment, Brennan smiled warmly. Dropping her eyes from them, she turned to her own father and stepped over to him. "Thank-you." Her voice was whispered so only he could hear as they held each other in their own hug.

"No problems, sweetheart. You and Booth needed some time alone." Kissing her cheek as they pulled away from each other, Max nodded as Booth shot him a grateful smile. "Something smells good." Quickly changing the subject of the heavier matter, Max crept over to the food and started pulling everything out of the bags and setting them on the table.

Soon enough, plates and forks were dispensed on the table and the four of them had food piled on their plates. The option of Chinese seemed to fit perfectly as they laughed and shared short stories of other times together like this, some reminisces others looks into the future.

And as if it were like a movie coming to a happy ending, the background darkened and the characters faded into darkness as the howling laughter of Parker Booth filled the air.


	23. Warming

**Warming**

As the rest of the weekend passed and finally came to an end, each and all had gathered at the apartment of Dr. Temperance Brennan.

Booth and Parker had migrated from their beds before the crack of dawn to head to the markets with a grocery list Brennan had supplied the night before over their boxes of Chinese. The Booth boys arrived on the anthropologist's door step shortly before 8AM and were greeted to cups of coffee and hot chocolate. It was throughout the day that Brennan and Booth stole kisses along with taking in turns of entertaining Parker with either the swimming pool on the ground floor or supervising him as he helped with the cooking processes.

The guests started arriving around 5PM with Angela and Hodgins the first to make an appearance. They came baring a bottle of Australia's finest Shiraz for Brennan and a bottle of top shelf scotch for Booth. Though the married couple wouldn't divulge in the reasoning for such presents, the partner's accepted without refusal.

Max arrived next with his ever characteristic charm and Parker's DS that had been left in his vehicle from the day before. Cam followed shortly with Michelle before Sweets and Daisy brought up the rear of the Jeffersonian and FBI crime-solving family by arriving just as appetizers were being offered.

"This was such a great idea, sweetie." Angela smiled as she picked up the last of the cutlery from the drying rack in Brennan's kitchen.

Smiling fondly over to her friend, Brennan had to agree. "Yes, it was."

The festive of the night had concluded shortly before and with only Hodgins and Angela lingering around, Booth had decided to take Parker back to Rebecca's. Hodgins took this as a cue to join the big stealthy man, leaving the two women to have some much needed time alone.

Laughing, Angela allowed a full blown smile to rattle her features. "Have you told Booth yet?"

"No." The change of subject caught the anthropologist slightly off guard, but she was easily able to recover and answer adequately. "I haven't had the chance. What you and Hodgins are doing for me, us, is more than I could have asked for. I know Booth has had other plans set in place regarding my birthday for some time."

"Your birthday's in two weeks, Bren. You need to tell him before Friday when you leave." Letting her smile falter for a moment, Angela conveyed a serious tone and face.

"I will… tonight." Promising Angela was easy; bringing the subject up with Booth would be the hard part. Giving a faux smile, Brennan turned to the opposite marbled counter and turned the kettle onto boil.

**-BB-**

Two hours later, Brennan was scrubbing the last of her foundation and mascara from her face and applying an organic moisturizer to keep her skin hydrated. Smiling weakly into the mirror, she sighed. Abandoning her attempt to remove the day from her face, she picked up the paddle brush and let it glide through the soft waves of hair. Finishing with the hairbrush, she set it back down on the vanity and brushed her teeth, completing the ritual with rinsing her mouth out with mouthwash.

Satisfied, she placed each and every item back in their rightful places before stepping back and taking once last look as her clean exterior. Letting her small smile broaden, Brennan turned from the mirror and slowly began to remove each piece of clothing until she was standing naked, the only piece still remaining being her white cotton panties. Grabbing the black slip from the hook on the back of the bathroom door, she pulled the garment over her head and allowed the material to fall mid-thigh.

With both her face and mind clean, Brennan stepped from the bathroom and into her lightly lit bedroom, a full blown smile turning at the corners of her lips as she saw him. Propped against the headboard of her antique Tampica Java bed from Java in Indonesia, Booth sat with his chest bare and his laptop sitting atop the comforter on his thighs.

"Don't they say not to mix work with play?" Although it was more of a statement, she asked it as a question.

As his eyes lifted from the screen and his own smile curved on his lips, his eyebrow waggling slightly as she moved from the doorway to her dresser. "Yes, but Hacker wants this report first thing tomorrow morning."

As she removed the small silver hoops from her ears and dropped them into the jewelry box specifically designed for earrings, she answered him. "Why must you leave things to the last minute?" As she turned back to him, he shrugged.

"I've been planning." Letting a soft chuckle fill the bedroom, Booth patted the empty spot next to him.

Compiling, Brennan grabbed her hand moisturizer and padded around to her side, slipping under the covers before uncapping the tube and squirting a generous amount in her left palm. "About your plans…"

"What about them." His voice was soft as his head whipped from the screen to face her.

"Angela and Hodgins have given me my present early; however it's out of town." Focusing on her hands as they rubbed together, she didn't dare to look up. "I'm using their present for my birthday."

"Okaaay." Elongating the word for longer than needed to be, he gently shut his laptop and placed it on the bedside table so his full attention was on her.

"I've phrased this all wrong." Shaking her head, and sighing considerably, Brennan looked up to face him. "Hodgins owns a cabin in Luray. He and Angela have offered that very cabin to me for my birthday."

"Why?" Raising an eyebrow, Booth queried her.

"Privacy." Her voice was shallow, so much so that Booth had to strain his ears to hear her. Swallowing a lump that had formed in her throat, she gave him the weakest of smiles. "I'm tired, Booth. I'm tired of dealing with death and murder each day. I'm tired of not knowing my place in society. I'm tired of sleepless nights and the fear that racks me before I fall into another Taffet-inspired nightmare. I need time away, and-and this offer, it gives me that time."

Nodding somberly, Booth reached over and ran his thumb under her eye, collecting the tears that had started to weep from their concealed position. Moving ever so slightly in the bed, he threw a leg out and over so she was cocooned between his legs and leaning into his chest. His arms wrapped instinctively around her in protection and love.

"Do you need time and space?" When he spoke, his voice was a mere whisper

"Just time." Sniffing, she smiled against the lip press of his lips against her right temple. She could feel herself relaxing into his touch as another build up of tears beckoned to fall.

"When did you want to leave?" Booth asked after a considerable amount of time had passed. Light kisses had been shared in their silence, as Brennan hung desperately onto each, her nimble fingers threading tightly through Booth's short mocha hair.

"Friday, after work." Stealing another brief, but passion filled kiss, she took to deep breaths and looked him straight in his warm and reassuring brown eyes. "I've already organized to have the week of with Cam. You need to deal with Hacker."

"Give me the hard part." Laughing, he shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Straight after work?"

Taking his question into thought, Brennan went over the pros and cons in her mind, deciding the best course of action. "If you pick me up Friday morning from here, I'll have my bags packed so they can be left in the SUV. If you do the same, we should be able to leave straight from work around five."

"We'll hit peak hour, which means an extra half hour in the car _if_ we're lucky."

"That's fine. We can find somewhere in Luray to have dinner before doing some supply shopping." Happy with her logic, Brennan allowed a larger than life kooky smile to fill her cheeks and face.

"We'll talk more when it's not nearing one o'clock in the morning." Kissing her hair and repositioning himself on what he'd now dubbed his side of the bed; Booth wrapped one arm around Brennan's waist and flicked the bedside table lamp of with the other as they dissolved into pure darkness.

Sleep was the last either had in mind as they finally drifted off into their own peaceful slumbers, but the one week of every month had put a dampener on anything other than the translucent forty winks.


	24. Xquisite

A/N: _Sorry about the title for this one, it's not the greatest but... When it comes to X in the alphabet there isn't many words other than X-rated or X-rays for chapters titles and this chapter contains none of the mentioned. _

_I would like to give a special mention to_ **MMWillow13, cheysma2000, ** _and_ **nertooold54**_, for leaving reviews. _

_I had numerous story alerts, favourite story alerts etc. but the reviews are what makes me happy and gives me a booster in confidence. I don't know what I've done wrong - if anything - to go from 15 reviews a chapter to just scraping a couple together. If I've done something wrong, say so in your review and with two chapters to go, I'll fix it. _

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**Xquisite **

The week passed at a moderate rate and by the end of it, everyone seemed happy when it was finally the weekend. With no new cases, Brennan had spent the week authenticating remains of a World War I solider, solving two Limbo cases so the remains could be buried, replying to emails and letters and completing every last piece of paperwork she could find in her inbox.

Booth on the other hand had a tougher deal. Because of his short notice, he had to stay back late each night finishing everyone piece of paperwork Hacker could find for him; some of which were more than a couple months old. Not only had the paperwork held him back, but three meetings during the week had lasted the whole day and with the FBI coffee tasting like sludge, he wasn't in the best of moods when he'd finally been able to leave. His usual stress reliever of exercise didn't seem to lift his spirits either.

On the rare occasion their paths crossed, however little was said and little was done. Their moments were fleeting and sparse. So the week and a half - where there would be no interruptions - would give them the much needed time to be together.

"You made a list, seriously?" The disbelief was evident as Booth took a bite of his overly greasy hamburger, a piece of bacon slipping from the bun and onto his plate.

"Yes." Feeling as if she could dry retch, Brennan spoke in short need-be sentences. The grease build up in Booth's burger, along with his fries was unhealthy, unethical and sub-par. Then again, her veggie burger with a chickpea patty wasn't much better.

"What's the matter?" Dropping his burger and wiping his greasy hands on a dirty napkin, Booth cocked his chin forward and allowed it to rest on his hands. She'd been quiet ever since they left Washington DC. She was quiet naturally, but this was unusual, she'd barely spoken two words.

Letting out a sigh that some may call a little dramatic, Brennan leaned back in her chair and folding her arms across her chest. "I want our time away to be refreshing so I can gain some perspective on my life and it just seems that… I don't know, forget I ever said anything."

"You do know, Temperance." Watching her wince slightly against the use of her first name, he reached across to brush the pads of his fingers against her sweater covered arm. "And I was the one that picked up on your uncomfortable silence, you didn't say anything." He added with a pint of humour.

Rolling her eyes, she let a small smile creep onto her lips, she explained. "This place wasn't what I was expecting. I expected something like _our_ diner; a warm atmosphere, friendly staff and satisfactory food."

"I understand." Leaning back in his chair, Booth fished his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a couple bills and laid them on the table. "How about we go do that shopping?"

"I would like that." Smiling as she stood from her chair. As she felt Booth's all too familiar hand on her lower back, Brennan couldn't help let her smile broaden as he guided her from the dingy diner that was nothing compared to their own back home in DC.

**-BB-**

For the next hour and a half they grocery shopped. While the produce wasn't fresh daily it was reasonable enough for the week they were going to be by themselves. It was when they were at the cash register that Brennan saw a flyer for the farmer's market and after some light pleading and a blackmail attempt, Booth nodded in agreement and let out a small laugh as his partner's eyes lit up.

"Did we really need all this?" Booth exclaimed as he looked intently at the shopping list, while clicking his seatbelt into the locking mechanism.

"You were the one who added the bacon, garlic bread and potato chips to the cart." Rolling her eyes and taking the receipt from him, she shook her head. "What about the pack of Trojan's? I certainly didn't buy them."

"Yeah, well, better to be safe than sorry." As he started the ignition, he gave a weak smile in her direction. "I wasn't going to take the risk with the ones in my wallet."

"Been that long, huh?" She quipped, her eyes laughing even if her mouth wasn't.

"Shut up." Giving her a glare as he merged into the light evening traffic, Booth turned his attention back onto the road as Brennan's light laughter filled the interior of the car.

They fell silent for some time. Luray disappeared behind them as paddocks and trees started to form in front of them. "Was the deep sea welder the last…?" His voice was soft as his question lingered between them.

She'd been looking out the window, watching the scenery pass. Although his question hadn't startled her, she quickly whipped her head around to him to make sure she'd heard him correctly. "Excuse me."

Turning to face her - his hands sitting limply around the wheel - he repeated his question. "Was the. Deep sea welder your last?"

"Yes, Mark was the last man I shared my bed with." She answered, her lips pursing together. "Did you sleep with Catherine?"

"No." He answered quickly, turning back to the road, just in time to see the sign for their turn off. "Cam was my last."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So you and Hacker…"

"No."

"Good."

"Good."

"Hey, look at that." Booth exclaimed as their cabin came into view just up ahead. His own way of dropping the now slightly awkward conversation. "We're here."

With the gravel crunching under the wheels, Booth crept towards the cabin before stopping and killing the ignition. The sun had set while on the drive from Luray to the Cabin, but streaks of purple and orange still faintly filled the sky emitting an eerie light from above.

"It looks nice." Brennan commented.

The cabin was well worn. For over a hundred years the Hodgins' had been coming out to Luray at different times of the year. And although Jack Hodgins senior (Hodgins' grandfather) didn't build the cabin until 1931, the family had spent much of their time camping under the stars in the rain, in the hail and in the shine. It was a family tradition that was now gifted down to Hodgins and in later years hopefully to one of his children.

"I can see why Hodgins likes it out here." Booth laughed as he grabbed a grocery bag from the trunk. They were surrounded by nothing but nature; plants, bushes and dirt - not that you would even attempt to call it dirt in front of one, Jack Stanley Hodgins.

"I'm sure his fascination into entomology started at a young age. Perhaps their camping expeditions to this very cabin helped him to choose his career path, however there are other avenues." She stated, grabbing a grocery bag in each hand.

"Doubt it." Booth's voice dripped with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes. "What kind of electricity makes this baby run?" He exclaimed, pointing vigorously towards the cabin.

"Hodgins told me there's a generator around the back." Brennan answered as she retrieved a small silver key from her jeans pocket.

"I'll turn it on then meet you inside." Throwing in one of his charm smiles for good measure, Booth - with grocery bags in hand - trotted off towards the back of the cabin with a slight swagger in his hips.

Brennan watched him quietly walk away. As his form rounded the cabin and she could no longer see him, she shook her head, sighed briefly then walked her own path up to the cabins steps. The cabin itself was a single level with a veranda running the length of the front. The logs were weathered and they were no longer a rich brown but rather the colour of

Climbing the three steps to the entrance, Brennan slid the key into the lock and eased the door open with a creek of the hinges. Earthy smells instantly enveloped her as she stepped into the large living area, her eyes widening as she tried to take in the interior all at once. Pine and disinfectant faded into her senses as she took a breath in and stepped fully into the cabin.

"Wow." Booth breathed, as he came in behind his partner. "This is better than what Parker and I get. You can usually feel the wind howling in between the cracks."

Looking over her shoulder, Brennan smiled a small, but familiar smile. "We should have bought Parker."

"Rebecca's sister is getting married, so he's at the wedding. Mind you, I think this is husband number five for Steph." Laughing, Booth treaded over behind her, wrapped a grocery bag hand around her waist and pulling her flush against him. Her head instantly rolled back to lean on his shoulder, a small content sigh escaping through her parted lips.

"Does Parker have any cousins?" Brennan asked her eyes closing as she spoke.

"Let me see, there's Belle from husband number one, Riley and Olivia from number three and Thomas from number four." Rolling his eyes, Booth went through the list of cousins Parker had told him about the previous weekend.

The blonde headed little boy was looking forward to spending time in Orlando and with him and Riley so close in age, Booth was glad he and Rebecca were no longer together. It would be she who would be disciplining Parker for the bad language and anything else that wasn't up to her impeccable standard.

"Okay." Reopening her eyes and stepping from Booth's embrace, Brennan walked through the open plan living room and into the small kitchenette area. With the generator in full swing, the gentle hum of the fridge seemed a little out of the ordinary compared to the other noises of wildlife coming from outside.

As Brennan unpacked the groceries and put them in various places, Booth wandered through the cabin, noting little details and other bits and pieces. He countered his finding a little while later as his partner was making a snack of carrot sticks and celery. Although she offered and he declined, Booth still snuck a stick of carrot through the gherkin dip they bought and dropped it into his mouth with a crunch.

"There's a note from Angela on the bed." Booth said softly as they moved from the small kitchen over to the well worn couch. Each dropped comfortably into a spot; Brennan's head resting on Booth shoulder and the bowl of snacks balancing on Booth's knee.

"Did you read it?" She asked, picking up a stick of celery from the plate.

"No." He answered with a kiss to the top of her head.

Brennan mumbled something inaudible and gave a sleepy sigh. "Take me to bed, Booth."

Grinning at the innuendo but knowing that's not what she meant, Booth moved gently from the sofa, the plate of food being placed on the floor and draped his arms around his half-sleeping partner. Lifting her into his arms, Booth walked through the cabin and into the bedroom at a slow and steady pace. He laid her gently on the bed and slipped her shirt from her torso and unzipped her jeans, pulling them from her never ending legs. As he stripped down from his own clothing to his boxers, Booth turned around to find she'd snuggled under the covers, the quilt tucked tightly under her chin with her hands.

Slipping under the covers with her and wrapping an arm around her waist, Booth dropped a kiss to the top of her nose and closed his own eyes. "May sweet dreams come to you, Temperance." His voice was soft when he spoke to her, but she was already lightly snoring by the time it would have reached her ears if she'd been awake and able to respond.

* * *

A/N #2: _The next chapter will be set out a little differently and have a major set up for the last chapter. It will be out hopefully by next Monday (Australian time) at the latest. I leave for school camp on Wednesday and therefore won't get time to right until Saturday. _

_Review?  
_


	25. Yield

**A/N:** _Shock, horror. And before you ask, no you don't need to readjust your computer screens. After a month of not updating here is the second last chapter! School has been really busy as of late, well since February 4 when I started my final year. Homework has been my companion, the one constant in my life. Also, I've had a touch of writers block but this chapter came together while I was at home this morning in my spares. Mind you, I'm not 100% either, I've got a touch of gastro at the moment. _

_Anyway, this chapter was not what I had in mind, but my muse sent me in another direction. All writers can relate._

_Also, I would like to give a personal thanks to all those who read, alerted and reviewed my Valentine's Day one-shot _**Love in the Lust** _I received numerous emails from that and by far it has been my most well perceived once and it gave me a huge confidence boost. If you haven't read it, I would suggest you do so, because I still read it in my word document and even trick myself in it as to which way it goes. _

_Okay, I'll stop by blabbering now - I'm sure you haven't missed that. Here, is our second last chapter -tear-._

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**Yield**

A week passed seemingly quickly and with little time spent away from exploring each others bodies, Brennan and Booth had finally come to rest at around three o'clock Saturday morning. When dawn rolled in, it was accompanied by a light, but persistent drizzle of spring rain that lasted most of the morning. However, neither the anthropologist nor the sniper-trained FBI agent noticed as they slept; their bodies cuddled into each other, and their chorusing snores synchronizing a harmony to go with the melody of rain.

Booth didn't know what time it was when he finally woke, but he knew he was sleeping alone. If it wasn't for the fact the space next to him was empty and cold, it would have only taken seconds for him to realise Brennan wasn't next to him. He'd become used to her languid body becoming draped over his own, or so far away from him that you could fit a third body in the queen-sized mattress.

With no headboard to pull himself up again, Booth sat forward and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Yawning, he threw the blankets from his next to naked body and stepped over to the pile of clothes he'd left on the floor from the night before. Grabbing a hoodie from his duffle bag, Booth threw it over his body for some extra warmth against the morning chill before stepping from the bedroom and making his way through the cabin to where the smell of coffee was growing stronger.

Letting a smile ghost onto his lips, Booth stopped and took notice of Brennan in the kitchen. Her back was to him, but he could sense the happiness in her posture. Not wanting to startle her, Booth walked over, his footsteps noticeable against the floor and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Morning." She hummed, her head falling back to rest on his shoulder as a peppering of kisses were had against her jaw.

"Morning." He replied, snaking a hand up her stomach to cup her left breast. "Come midnight, you won't know what's hit you, baby."

"Technically I don't turn thirty-four until 4:38PM tomorrow afternoon." She laughed before moaning as he squeezed on her gently, a surge of arousal running through her body. "But, midnight sounds good." She squeaked as Booth's hand massaged her nipple, the friction between the lace of her bra and his fingers heightening her arousal to an intense peak.

By then, after grinding himself into her for the briefest of moments, Booth moved from behind her and over to the makeshift kettle and flicked the switch on. From the kettle, he reached into one of the cupboard and withdrew a mug. Grabbing a spoon from one of the drawers, he filled the cup with a teaspoon of sugar and coffee before waiting for the water to boil.

In the time that Booth had to make his warm beverage, Brennan glowered at him. Her hand came to rest on her hip as she turned from the stove and the cooking of her homemade granola to face him, her forehead creased in faux anger.

Turning back from the kettle and bringing the steamy cup of coffee to his lips, Booth caught sight of Brennan. "What?"

"I'll give you what." She scolded, turning to flick the stove off and move the pot from the hotplate. "You wake up and instantly arouse me, then you… then you back away like a shameless prude." In the midst of her rant, the spoon that she'd used to stir the pot had tightened in her palm as she jabbed it towards her partner.

Trying not to smirk as he'd most likely get his ass whooped by the spoon, Booth instead took a sip from his coffee, his eyes never dropping eye contact. "Look, Bones, I'm sorry." Setting the cup on the counter, he stepped over to her, reaching out a hand to touch her arm, but she flinched and stepped away from him. "Bones." His voice was a plead.

"I need to set the table for my breakfast, is that a problem?" She threw over her shoulder as she stomped from the small kitchen over to the small dining table. "You should probably go collect some firewood; the rain looks as if it will hold for the rest of the day."

"Bones." He tried again reached out to her, but again she stepped away from him. "Let me explain."

"Go. Get. The. Firewood." She said, pausing after each single word.

"You're being stubborn." Booth again reached out and quickly grabbed hold of her arm, tightening his grip when she tried to pull away.

"Get off of me!" She whispered through clenched teeth, her eyes red with fury.

"No." He answered back with just as much vengeance. "What happened before is what I want to happen every morning from tomorrow. I want to wake up, arouse you then make love to you until we're late for work. I love you, and I'll continue to love you. But you have to trust me."

Her stony glare softened. Though it was a slow process and took a couple of minutes of intensity swimming in both Brennan and Booth's eyes, Brennan finally sighed deeply, her head falling forward so she was staring at the floor.

"I do trust you." She mumbled. Brushing a piece of hair away from her face when she looked back up to him, she drew her bottom lip into her mouth, her teeth scraping over the coral coloured flesh. "However, I'm afraid of losing you once we sleep together."

"Why's that?" Booth asked soothingly.

Sighing and fiddling with the cuff of her sweater, she wanted to avoid the question but knew she couldn't. After two long breaths and a fight of deep emotions she'd tried to bury, Brennan looked up to him with glistened eyes. "All the men I've let close to me in my life have left. My father abandoned me, Russ left, my grandfather who finally got me out of foster care passed away. Michael took my virginity then said he couldn't be in a relationship with me." Wiping a falling tear away with the back of her hand, Brennan tried to smile but the muscles wouldn't allow even the smallest of smiles to grace her saddened face.

"Bones, baby. I'm nothing like Max, or Russ, or even Michael and Sully." He hushed, rubbing her back gently as she tried to regain composure.

"But you are." The whisper was fierce. "You risk your life every day. For the past month, I've been afraid to be left alone. I jump every time my phone rings. My mind has been in the darkest of places since we began this relationship. I'm not prepared for someone from the FBI to tell me you've been killed or seriously injured. I care too much about you to lose you. That's why my trust comes in spurts. I trust you more than I should."

Fresh tears leaked from the crystal blue orbs of Temperance Brennan and soaked into the faded Guns 'N' Roses hoodie her partner Seeley Booth was wearing. Clutching her tightly, Booth did all he could to support and show the love and amorality he felt towards her. By any standard, the exposure of her true feelings was enough to make him want to kiss her sweetly and take her to bed and make love to her for as long as possible, but he knew better than to do so. Instead, he held her. The seconds turned into minutes and the minutes turned into a lifetime before the tears eventually dissolved and they were just holding onto each other for the sake of being together.

"Thank-you." Booth finally whispered, his lips tenderly pressing against Brennan's left temple.

"For what?" Brennan hiccuped, her head snuggling further into Booth's chest.

"Telling me the truth. For being honest." With one hand still supporting her back, Booth bought the other hand around and under her chin, lifting her head up to face him. Slowly, he leaned forward, engaging his lips against hers. He could taste the salt from her tears and the love he knew she had for him and their life together in the future.

"I… I want you to make love to me." She whispered, anxiously.

"Bones…"

"No Booth, tomorrow we can have sex. Right now though, I want you to make love to me. I want you to show me what making love is."

"Okay." Cupping her face, Booth fused his lips back onto Brennan's as they stumbled towards the bedroom, together.


	26. Zeal

**A/N: **_All good things must come to an end, and in this moment of time its this fanfiction that I've put my heart and soul in for the last 10 months. I've enjoyed writing this so much. Its gone in the directon I've wanted it to go in and I am so happy with the end result. I hope all you as readers have enjoyed the journey I've taken you, and Brennan and Booth on as much as I have. At the completion of writing this story a few hours ago, I cried. It was quite overwhelming to finish my first multi-chapter fanfiction. I've learnt and grown so much as a writer and I hope that you've been able to see that and will continue to see that in my future writings. With that said, I hope you follow me in my journey to new adventures as I continue to follow my insiprations and their footpaths._

_So, its my pleasure, for the last time, to give you _Love Language of their Own.

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**Zeal**

As a bead of sweat trickled down the side of her face, Temperance Brennan felt herself smile against a light peppering of kisses on her clavicle. She kept her eyes closed as a light sound of her own laughter filled the air. Seeley Booth's day old stubble tickled her chest as his lips kissed a path down and across the tops of her breasts. Every now and again she felt him stop, take a moment to nurture her milk white skin, before moving across to another spot, the tender love and affection evident in each kiss he left.

"Mmm." She murmured, threading her fingers through the thick brown hair of her partner. Her eyes opened for the briefest of moments before closing again, another sound of delight emitting shortly after.

With a deep chortle of laughter, Booth lifted his head and dragged his lips to hers, fusing them together. His arm swooped over Brennan breasts so he could spread his weight evenly on both arms; his chest showering a shadow over her body. "Happy birthday, baby."

"Booth." She warned playfully, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"You didn't mind me calling you baby earlier." He teased, nipping at a cluster of burst blood vessels on the left side of Brennan's neck.

"As I recall, earlier we were engaging in sexual intercourse; rough, passionate intercourse." Splaying her fingers across the back of Booth's head, Brennan guided him to the spot she wanted him. "Yes, there." Her voice purred, welcoming the delicate sensation that his lips sent through her body.

Gently lowering his body weight on top of her, Booth continued to suck and nip at the spot she directed him to, while one hand fisted her head, the other creeping down her body until he slipped into the warmth of her folds. He caressed the soft flesh, his thumb rubbing gentle circles over her clitoris, while his index and middle finger dipped into the realms of where he'd soon be entering.

He'd admit, even if it were to himself, that he enjoyed when her eyes would glaze with arousal, when they rolled back in her head and when she let out a whimpering sound that left him wanting to enter her smoothly only to rock her back and forth until she shattered like a piece of glass beneath him. But he refrained, even if his protruding "gun" resting uneasily on her thigh. Instead, he bought all to a halt, he abandoned the attempted hickey, and he stopped the rhythm of entering and exiting her heat.

Again the whimper had him pursing his eyes closed and counting to ten before reopening. He knew she'd be the death of him one way. And he was pretty sure she knew as well. Pressing two fingers down on her clitoris, he flicked the bean-like piece of flesh and watched her wither and squirm. He continued the torture as sweat beaded on her forehead and her breathing quickened to a point where she was bucking beneath him, wanting the orgasm that was building to be over with.

"B-Booth." She panted. "Please."

He conceded and within seconds Brennan's juices were spilling over his fingers, the delight and relief showering her face as a smile began to form on her lips. Leaning down, Booth sealed his lips over hers and urged his way into her mouth.

Through the kiss, her heart rate steadied and the clamminess that built on her forehead dissolved. Running her fingers down the plains of his abdominals she reached for him, winding her fingers steadily along the plank she wanted to walk upon. He was already hard, but she could have sworn she felt him harden even more under her firm grasp.

In return he formed a deeper assault on her mouth before stumbling his way to the erect buds of flesh that formed her darkened nipples. Sealing his hand into her hot, moist folds, he inserted one digit into her core, he felt her throb against him, he like was throbbing against her.

"Bones, baby." He whispered, pulling himself away from her breasts, his dark brown eyes mirroring hers in the desire stakes. "This is going to be quick."

"And rough?" She questioned, letting her hand go.

She felt him retract his hand and reposition himself above her centre fold. "No. But, we will, soon."

"I understand." She didn't really, but she didn't want to agree or talk, she just wanted to feel and he was making it very hard. She whimpered as he teased her once more by running his erection up to her clit then back down before sinking into her.

Curling a leg around his waist, she urges him deeper into the stronger territory she's never quite felt before. She's filled to capacity and she's quite sure, though impossible, they may break the laws of physics. He's thicker and broader than the other men that she's shared herself with and with her eyes rolling back in her he's, she's sure the waves she's about to feel are more stronger and powerful than the last time she shattered beneath another man.

"Oh, God." She moans, reeling in an ecstasy that rocks her body as he rocks himself above her; the deep plunges brining about an almost agonizing sensation for the both of them.

"I know we've already had sex twice… but wow, this… this feels… incredible." He breaths through heavy breaths. He knows his own climax is coming, but he doesn't want this particular feeling to be over. Before he could voice his opinions, he leans down to capture her swollen lips, rolling them over attentively after their connected in a second way.

She feels his hands instinctively grabbed for her hips, aiding in her impaling and rejoice. "People usually converse during sex, but I seem unable to hold a thought." She muses, thrusting herself down to his base, a paint whimper coming from her lips as she draws back. "However, one thought is there, it's more of a visual thought though."

"And what you that be?" He asked, reaching a hand up to brush away a curl of damp hair.

She answers simply with a smile and a deep thrust. "Page 187."

"Fuck." He curses, flipping her beneath him once more and lunging deep into her, his lips instantly fusing to hers in reaction to the quick thrusts he ensures. He feels himself spasm, the vibrations of emptying himself in her orgasmic.

He kisses the sheen of sweat from her forehead as he comes to rest, his body weight spread evenly over her as a limp junior stays tucked inside her gleaming heat.

"Thank-you." She murmured some time later from behind closed eyelids, her lips searching for his.

"No, thank-you." He chortles, pecking at the corner of her lips.

"I find that I'm quite enjoying the start of my birthday." She peaks up to him, her blue eyes innocent and calm. He can see euphoria of happiness hidden deep inside them.

"I'm glad. How about we get some sleep though? The squints, your family and Parker will be here for dinner. And I want some more alone time with you before then." She smiled, dropping a tender kiss the tip of her nose.

She mumbled something incoherent and soon enough both were fast asleep, joined together in more way than one as Brennan sleepily hooked a leg over Booth's waist, drawing him in closer to her.

**-BB-**

The birthday girl - or women if you were to argue with her - rouse around eleven o'clock to a feeling of hardness tucked inside her. Searching through her haze of memories from the night previously, she quickly located and remembered him never drawing out of her last night, which would explain the morning wood he was currently experiencing. Threading her fingers through his hair, she kissed at one of his scars, the one that had a bullet pulled form it only a couple years before to try and wake him.

"Good morning." He mumbled sleepily, peeling two brown eyes open to find her gently nipping at his skin.

"It appears it is a good morning for you." She chimed, squeezing her muscles around him.

He simply smiled and pushed her head up with two curled fingers, languidly bringing his lips to hers in a soft, yet love filled kiss. Pushing himself above her, he continued the kiss, not wanting to break contact as he slowed moved in and out. There was nothing better to wake up and make love and he was thoroughly enjoying the experience of making love in the morning, with _her._

"What time is everyone suppose to be getting here?" She asked casually.

"Shhh." He hushed, lapsing his lips over hers once more. "No talking, just feel and enjoy."

Her response came in the purring of his name and a soft laughter that filled the small bedroom as they both fell a casualty to sweet, sensual love making.

**-BB-**

Brennan once again woke, but this time to an empty bed and no clear indication as to what time it might me. She could have worked out the time through the position of the sun, but she was far too relaxed to do so. Instead, she opened her eyes slowly to find him watching her, a delicate smile ghosting his lips from the edge of the bed.

"How long have you been sitting their naked, watching me sleep?" She mused, pulling herself up against the pine wall, bringing the blankets up with her instinctively.

"I showered first, so not long." He chuckled. "I have something for you though."

"If it's another love making session, I find that I am rather sore." She said honestly, trying to give him a reassuring smile.

"No, not that." He comforted. "We've been _'together'_ four times in less than twenty-four hours, I expect you to be sore. I've got your birthday present." As he dragged himself up to be next to her, he slipped under the blankets and gently pulled her head down to rest on his shoulder.

"You know I don't put much credence in birthday rituals." She rolled her eyes.

Scoffing, Booth too rolled his eyes. "Bones, you don't put much _credence_ in psychology." He used her words and mimicked her voice. "You like birthday presents. I saw the look of disappointment in your eyes last year when Angela forgot your birthday."

Sighing, she admitted defeat. "Yes fine. What is it you got for my birthday?"

"I got you two things actually." He paused; turning to reach into the nightstand he withdrew two boxes, one larger than the other. He passed the smaller box over to her.

"What is it?" She asked, inspecting the silver and black wrapping paper assiduously.

"Open it." He urged. "You'll like it."

Cautiously, she slipped a finger under the tape and carefully peeled the paper away until she was left holding a rectangular blue felt box. With shaking hands, Brennan ran a hand over the felt before popping the lid open. She gasped. Her eyes widened and looking back and forth from the piece of jewelry to the bemused boyish grin on Booth's face. Tears prickled at the back of her ice blue eyes, as he went to reach for the piece but pulled back before she could.

"Booth." She instead breathed, her astonishment was clear.

"A cultured pearl and a round brilliant cut diamond in 18k white gold on a 16 inch chain." He explained, planting a kiss to her temple.

"It's… It's beautiful and perfect." She couldn't help the tears that ran down her cheeks in rivulets. "And its Tiffany & Co. Booth, you shouldn't have, this would have cost you more than you should be spending."

"Bones, baby. For you, I can go broke for a couple weeks." He assured. "Do you want your second present now or later?"

"Now." She smiled, gently closing the lid to the box and placing it neatly next to her.

Passing the second, much larger box over, he smiled. "I think you'll like this."

Like the first box, this too was wrapped in silver and black wrapping paper and like the first she made a procedure out of unwrapping it. Confused by what the paper revealed, she glanced to Booth who gave nothing away before turning back to the box and pulling the lid from top.

"You didn't." She laughed, pulling the more than real silver 9mm pistol from its foam holding. Giving it a close up inspection, she didn't fail to notice the engraving on the right-hand side. "Happy 35th birthday, Bones. Your own real gun." She read with a blasé smile. "Thank-you."

"Check the box again." He grinned, taking the gun from her hand and placing it on the nightstand.

Another small wrapped box sat in one corner, giving him a curious glance; Brennan picked the lightweight box up and unwrapped it. The same blue felt covered the unwrapped box and popping it open, she again gasped.

"Let me guess; cultured pearls and a round brilliant cut diamonds." She watched him nod as she ran a finger over the pearls, a perfect set of matching earrings to go with the already perfect necklace. "I cannot thank-you enough, Booth. I… I love you."

"And I love you." He replied, reaching for the box to place on the nightstand as his lips sealed over hers and unshed tears ran down Brennan checks.

Even if she said she was sore, it didn't stop them making soft, passionate love for another lapse in time.

**-BB-**

"Thank-you." She smiled gratefully towards her family and friends, her glass of red wine raised. "Thank-you all for being here tonight to help me celebrate my birthday and to you Booth, thank-you especially."

"To me." He cheered.

"To us." The rest responded as laughter broke around the table and glasses were chinked together.

Dinner and dessert had been had and as Brennan sat back down, she was showered in a gift box from her father, his eager eyes already wandering between the present and his glowing daughter who was wearing Booth's presents affectionately.

"Dad." She laughed, noting the bright pink bow on top of the box. Opening the box, she pulled two DVDs from inside, confusion reigning on her face before recognition of the titles took place. "You had these made into DVDs?"

"Booth grabbed the videos from your bedroom and I had them made into DVDs, no one uses big bulky videos anymore. Plus, I know you like to watch your graduation video and the last family Christmas video we made."

"Thank-you." She mouthed; setting aside the DVDs for a moment so she could grab a slim line box from her brother and three cards that came too.

"Halley and Emma each made you a card." Amy explained.

Unwrapping the box, Brennan laughed when she opened the carved box to find a miniature human skeleton inside.

"Made from ivory and joined together with fishing line." Russ explained, seeing the bemused look on his sister's face.

"Very appropriate." She laughed.

Each present Brennan opened, the more she found out that her family and friends knew her more so than she knew herself. It wasn't until she opened Parker's gift last that she let tears flood her face. She embraced the young boy for dear life when he asked if she were alright. The nine year olds gift was simple, but it meant so much to her. An engraved silver photo frame containing a photo of herself, Parker and Booth.

Grabbing the frame that caused her friend to end up in tears, Angela read top engraving first. "My family." Dropping her eyes to the bottom, Angela felt her lip quivered before she read the scripture. "Bones, you make my dad happy. You make him smile and you make him laugh. The way he looks at you is the way mum looks at me. Love. He loves you and I know you love him too. I have never seen dad so happy in my life. You've helped dad make a family. You, me and him. We're that family. I love you too Bones. Love Parker."

"Park." Booth choked, not having known what was written until Angela read it out loud.

"Mum helped me write what I said." The little boy explained before being squashed in a three-way hug with his _'family'._

"I love you too, Parker." Brennan exasperated as he found her lips being sealed over by Booth's.

**-BB-**

That night, as Parker slept in the room next door, the couple again quietly made love as Temperance and Seeley. The love making was pure yet sassy, filled with the unbinding love that made them a couple, and a family. They didn't break the laws of physics but they broke into an unforeseen future that held the two of them, together with Parker close by.

As Seeley placed one last kiss on Temperance's forehead, he whispered his final words. "Happy Birthday, Bones."

His only response, a shallow eruption of snores. His laughter filled the darkened room as another kiss was dropped to her face and he snuggled into her warm cocooned body.

As they slept, they each knew tomorrow would be the day as a new couple, as a new family that would depend on the both of them and their underlying love.

Tomorrow, the first day of many love filled tomorrows.

* * *

**Post A/N: **_I hope you enjoyed this last chapter and I hope it was worthy of a review, especially since it was indeed the last chapter. I personally loved the ending, it was different but true to the word. For Brennan and Booth this story was all about a journey and I've left them on their own journey into the future. _

_I would lastly like to thank everyone for their love and support, their guidance and comments. You have ALL helped me to be a better right. _

_Until next time, goodbye. x_

_(ps. Don't forget to review).  
_


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